RB 


mm 
mm 


OVERBOARD  IN  BOSTON  HARBOR.  —  Page  34. 


THE  GOLD  HUNTER'S  LIBRART. 


THE 


GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE; 


OB, 


THE    DEAD  ALIVE 


BY 


WILLIAM    H.  THOMES, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  GOLD  HUNTER'S  ADVENTURES,  OR  LIFE  IN  AUSTRALIA," 
"THE  BUSHRANGERS,"   ETC. 


BOSTON : 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS, 

NEW   YORK: 
LEE,   SilKI'AS.'n    AXD    DILLIXGHAM. 

1875. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  18C8,  by 

LEE    AND    SIIETAED, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


Stereotyped  at  the  Boston  Stereotype  Foundry, 
No.  19  Spring  Lane. 


INTRODUCTION. 


A  WORD  OF  EXPLANATION  TO  THE  GENERAL  READER 

THOSE  who  have  perused  "THE  GOLD  HUNTERS,  OR 
ADVENTURES  IN  AUSTRALIA,"  and  "THE  BUSHRANGERS, 
OR  LIFE  IN  AUSTRALIA,"  will  recollect  several  promi 
nent  persons  who  were  conspicuous  in  all  encounters 
with  desperate  robbers  in  Victoria  and  in  other  sections 
of  that  province.  These  characters  will  figure  quite  ex 
tensively  in  this  volume.  Daring,  cool,  collected  Fred, 
the  favorite  of  man,  woman,  and  child,  once  more  ap 
pears  upon  the  stage,  and  with  him  our  old  Australian 
friend,  the  commissioner  of  the  mounted  police,  the  ter 
ror  of  bushrangers  and  ticket-of-leave  men;  Murden,  the 
bold  and  rash,  thorough  English  in  all  his  habits  and 
ideas,  yet  a  man  to  be  relied  upon  in  every  emergen 
cy,  and  who  would  have  died  rather  than  desert  a 
comrade  in  distress ;  Hezekiah  Hopeful,  of  Hillsboro' 
County,  New  Hampshire,  the  mechanical  genius,  who 
in\T3nted  a  quartz-crusher,  and  by  its  aid  made  a 
fortune  in  Australia  —  a  genuine  representative  of  the 
Yankee,  prompt  to  fall  in  love  with  a  pretty  face,  full 
of  pluck  and  all  the  dogged  energy  of  his  race,  — 

(3) 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

he,  too,  will  contribute  his  share  for  the  entertain 
ment  of  the  reader;  and,  lastly,  the  writer  of  "THE 
GOLD  HUNTERS  "  and  "  THE  BUSHRANGERS,"  the  histo 
rian  of  the  party,  will  tell  you  what  we  saw,  what 
adventures  we  encountered  in  foreign  countries,  and 
other  matters  of  interest.  •" 

All  these  things  will  be  told  in  a  straightforward 
matter-of-fact  manner.  In  the  campaigns  which  we 
are  about  to  commence,  we  shall  always  be  accompanied 
by  a  four-footed  friend,  whose  fidelity  has  been  tested, 
and  whose  courage  is  above  suspicion.  Rover  (his  name 
is  familiar  to  the  reader)  is  not  too  old  to  do  valuable 
service  for  his  master;  for  his  eyes  are  as  bright  and 
his  teeth  as  strong  as  when  we  first  met  him  on  the 
dry,  parched  plains  of  Australia,  on  that  terrible  night 
when  the  bushrangers  maltreated  his  mistress  and  killed 
his  master.  Age  sits  lightly  on  his  massive  head,  and 
although  the  dear  old  hound  seldom  relaxes  his  dignity 
for  the  purpose  of  joining  in  the  sports  of  the  field,  yet 
he  is  as  fleet  of  foot  and  as  untiring  as  ever. 

With  these  explanations,  brief  but  necessary  for  a 
perfect  understanding  of  the  characters  which  are  to 
appear  in  the  volume,  the  writer  will  commence  un 
folding  his  series  of  adventures,  and  hopes  to  hold  the 
reader's  attention  to  the  end. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

MM 

Reminiscences  of  the  Past.  — Widowers  coidoling  with  each 
other.  —  Strange  Visitors.  —  The  Dead  alive.  — Plans  for 
.the  Future .  9 

CHAPTEE    II. 

In  which  Fred  relates  a  few  Particulars  of  his  Resurrection 
from  a  Tomb,  and  what  happened  to  him  afterwards.  .  .  17 

CHAPTER    III. 

All  aboard.— The  Thunderer  under  Steam.— The  first  Adven 
ture. —  Child  overboard.  —  To  the  Rescue. — In  the  Water 
and  on  the  Ship.  .  .  . 28 

CHAPTER    IV. 

Dripping  wet.  —  Heroes  for  the  Hour.  —  A  Pair  of  bright  Eyes. 
—  An  Introduction.  —  An  Earl's  Thanks.  —  A  Promise.  .  38 

CHAPTER    V. 

A  Father's  Story.  —  In  a  Convent. —  We  promise  Aid.  —  The 
Earl  and  Countess.  —  A  Coquette. —  Queenstown  and  a  Sur 
prise 48 

CHAPTER    VI. 

A  strong  Escort. —  Suspected  of  being  Fenians.— 'The  at 
tempted  Rescue. —  The  Flight  after  the  Fight.  .  .  .68 

CHAPTER    VII. 

A  secret  underground  Retreat.  —  Whiskey  Stills  and  Fenian- 
ism.  —  The  Attack  and  Defence.  —  A  Blow  for  Liberty.  .  69 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

An  Attempt  to  escape. — Rover  and  the  Fenian's  Leg. — A 
Game  that  was  blocked.  —  Storming  the  Cellar. — A  familiar 

Voice.  ..* ...79 

5 


6  CONTE:N  TS. 

CHAPTER    IX. 

A  strange  Meeting.  —  An  old  Acquaintance.  —  Pat  and  his  Ac 
cusations.  —  In  the  Street.  —  The  Barracks. — The  Despatch.  90 

CHAPTER    X. 

Ordered  to  Dublin.  —  The  Warning.  —  The  mysterious  Voice. 

—  Off  for  Dublin. —  Drunken  Soldiers. —  The  Fenians  again.  101 

CHAPTER    XI. 

Surrounded  by  Fenians.  —  The  Search  for  Gold. — A  Disap 
pointment.  —  Maurice  in  Danger.  —  Fred  to  the  Rescue.  — 
A  Signal 112 

CHAPTER    XII. 
A  long  Tramp.  —  A  Cave  in  the  Mountains.  —  A  Proposition. 

—  The  Refusal 122 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

A  Plan  for  an  Escape.  —  Sentinels  and  Whiskey.  —  Securing 
Muskets.  —  A  Struggle.  —  A  Sentinel  on  the  Watch.  .  132 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Capturing  an  Outpost.  —  On  the  Mountains.  —  The  Hut  in  the 
Valley.  —  The  Still  and  its  Owner.  —  A  Surprise.  .  .  143 

CHAPTER    XV. 

A  Surprise.  —  A  Proposition.  —  Death  or  Gold.  —  Heavy  De 
mands.  —  The  Rope  and  the  Victim.  —  Terms  accepted.  — 
An  Interruption 154 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Surprised  Fenians.  —  Tht  Pursuit.  —  An  Acquaintance.  —  For 
Dublin. — Another  Arrest 164 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

Champagne  and  Whiskey  Punch.  —  On  our  Way  to  the  Castle. 

—  An  Audience  with  his  Lordship 173 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

A  convinced  Lord.  —  Ilez  and  his  Hand-shaking.  —  Dis 
charged.  —  An  Explanation.  —  A  Ruse  to  escape  Attentions.  183 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

The  Serenade.  —  A  grand  Row. —  Off  for  Liverpool.  —  Hez 
and  a  pretty  Girl.  —  Disappearance  of  Hopeful.  —  A  Re 
quest  for  Money 193 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XX. 

Hopeful  in  a  bad  Way.  —  His  Messengers.  —  Rover  undertakes 
a  difficult  Task,  and  accomplishes  it.  —  A  Proposal.  .  .  202 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

A  Proposition.  —  It  is  accepted.  — In  Search  of  Hopeful. — The 
Saloon,  and  what  we  saw  there.  —  Daisy  appears.  .  .  212 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

A  Struggle.  —  A  Prisoner.  —  Search  for  Hopeful. — The  lost 
One  found.  —  A  Surprise 222 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 

A  wretched  Lover.  — A  little  Prudence  and  Reason.  —  A  Res 
olution.  —  An  Escape.  —  A  Gang  of  Roughs.  —  The  Officers 
of  the  Police 232 

CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Another  Surprise.  —  A  Retreat.  —  A  Demand.  —  Murden's 
Point.  —  Daisy  and  her  future  Life 241 

CHAPTER    XXV. 

What  to  do  with  a  fainting  Girl.  — Rover  and  the  Landlord. 
—  Murden  and  his  Protegee.  —  An  awkward  Meeting.  .  250 

CHAPTER    XXVI. 

An  Explanation,  and  one  that  is  satisfactory.  —  An  Interview 
with  Daisy.  —  Her  Consent.  —  Another  Surprise.  .  .  260 

CHAPTER    XXVII. 

Daisy  and  her  Voyage.  —  Explanations.  —  Off  for  London.  — 
The  Pride  of  England.  —  A  Caller.  —  A  Landlord's  Aston 
ishment 270 

CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

An  Invitation  for  Lancaster  from  a  live  Earl.  —  Meeting  with 
Relatives.  —  A  Bit  of  Advice.  —  A  Scene  unexpected.  .  280 

CHAPTER    XXIX. 

A  Declaration  of  Love  on  the  Part  of  Hopeful.  —  The  Depart 
ure  for  Paris.  —  Our  Plans.  —  An  Arrest  in  the  Name  of  the 
Emperor ••••.  289 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXX. 

Under  Arrest.  —  An  Examination. — A  remarkable  Man.— 
An  Edict.  —  A  Surprise.  —  The  Emperor 800 

CHAPTER    XXXI. 

Hopeful  and  the  Emperor.  —  The  Hopper  Gun.  —  An  Inter 
view  appointed.  —  Convents.  —  A  Dinner.  —  An  Appoint 
ment 310 

CHAPTER    XXXII. 

The  Interior  of  a  French  Hotel. — How  a  Countess  can  plot 
and  plan  to  rob  those  who  have  Money.  —  An  Interruption.  321 

CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

Death  in  the  Midst  of  Life.  — An  astonished  Group.  —  Grum 
bling  Companions. — An  Interview  with  Miss  Josie.  .  .330 

CHAPTER    XXXIV. 

The  Emperor  Napoleon  and  Family. — A  kind  Reception. — 
An  Explanation.  —  The  Leave-taking 339 

CHAPTER    XXXV. 

The  Garden  Mabille.  —  A  pretty  Girl.  —  A  Flirtation.  —  A 
Dance.  —  An  Invitation.  —  A  Graybeard.  —  The  Iron  Gate.  349 

CHAPTER    XXXVI. 

In  a  Convent.  —  A  dangerous  Position.  —  A  Confession.  — 
The  Effect  of  a  Sneeze.  —  Face  to  Face 358 

CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

A  fallen  Priest.  —  A  ReCnforcement.  —  An  Advance.  —  A 
Retreat.  —  A  deadly  Agent.  —  A  Surprise  and  a  Rescue.  .  367 

CHAPTER    XXXVIII. 

8afe  Advice.  —  A  surprised  Father.  —  A  Proposal.  —  Off  for 
England.  —  Weddings.  —  Finishing  up.  —  The  End.  .  .  875 


THE 

GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE ; 

OK, 

THE    DEAD    ALIYE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

REMINISCENCES     OF     THE     PAST. WIDOWERS     CONDOLING 

WITH   EACH   OTHER. STRANGE   VISITORS.  —  THE   DEAD 

ALIVE. PLANS   FOR    THE    FUTURE. 

ONE  evening  Hezekiah  Hopeful,  my  old  companion  in 
arms,  was  seated  in  my  library,  smoking  a  cigar,  and  look 
ing  as  mournful  as  a  man  should  look  who  had  lost  a  dear 
wife  six  months  before.  At  my  feet,  on  a  velvet  rug,  re 
posed  Rover,  a  noble  hound,  that  winked  and  wagged 
his  tail  every  time  Australia  was  mentioned,  as  though 
he  knew  that  he  had  seen  some  stirring  times  in  that  land 
of  gold,  kangaroos,  and  bushrangers. 

u  I'll  tell  you  what  it  is,"  said  Hopeful,  after  a  moment's 
silence,  sending  out  a  volume  of  smoke,  "  darned  ef  I  don't 
wish  I  was  back  in  Australia  agin.  We  did  have  fun  thar 
—  now  didn't  we?  -  O  Lord,  how  we  did  make  them  ere 
bushrangers  run  when  once  we  struck  their  trails !  And 
then,  how  we  raked  in  the  gold !  —  solid,  yellow  gold, 
and  not  sich  stuff  as  we  has  to  handle  and  call  it  money." 

"  You  miss  your  wife,  Hopeful,"  I  said  ;  "  I  can  see  it  in 
your  face,  and  by  every  word  that  you  utter.  Take  another, 
and  be  contented  with  the  wealth  that  you  have  got,  for 
you  know  you  are  the  richest  man  in  Hillsboro'  County." 

(9) 


10.  TITti    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

"I  know  that,  but  I'll  be  gol  darned  ef  I  can  forget  mj 
Martha  quite  so  soon.  I  shall  never  love  another  gal  as  I 
loved  her;  and  to  think  that  she  should  die  jist  at  this 
time  is  a  little  too  hard  on  me.  I  must  do  somethin'  to 
occupy  my  time,  or  I  shall  go  near  about  ravin'  distracted- 
Come,  let's  make  a  trip  to  Australia,  and  look  at  old 
friends.  They'll  be  glad  to  see  us,  I  knows." 

The  hound  started  to  his  feet  and  uttered  a  prolonged 
howl,  that  rattled  the  windows  and  called  forth  a  severe 
reprimand  from  me. 

"You  see,"  Hopeful  continued,  after  quiet  was  restored, 
<c  even  old  Rover  would  like  to  see  Australia  once  more. 
Wouldn't  you,  old  dog?" 

The  hound  laid  his  head  for  a  second  on  Hez's  knee, 
and  then  stalked  to  the  door,  sniffed  for  a  moment,  and 
once  more  uttered  a  deep  bay — a  bark  that  told  of  joy  and 
sorrow;  and  I  could  only  quiet  him  by  throwing  a  slipper 
at  his  head,  and  then  compelling  him  to  bring  it  to  me. 

"  The  dog  misses  the  tender  care  of  his  mistress,"  I  said. 
"Since  Jenny  died  he  has  seemed  sad  and  mournful,  and 
is  uneasy  if  I  am  out  of  his  sight  for  a  moment." 

"  That's  what  I  came  here  for,"  cried  Hopeful.  "  I  want 
to  have  a  square  talk  with  you,  and  I  mean  to  afore  I 
leaves  the  house.  Here  you  is  a  mopin'  yerself  to  death 
ever  since  the  death  of  yer  wife.  Now,  'taiu't  no  use  to 
go  on  in  this  way.  You  is  a  young  man,  only  thirty  years 
of  age,  and  can  see  lots  of  happy  days  if  yer  is  a  mind 
to  think  so." 

"  Take  the  advice  to  yourself,"  I  remarked.  "  You  have 
been  as  mournful  as  an  owl  since  you  were  a  widower." 

"I  know  ;  but  then  I  lost  Martha,  and  she  —  " 

"Wouldn't  compare  for  a  moment  with  my  Jenny." 

Hopeful  was  about  to  utter  an  indignant  protest  when 
some  one  knocked  at  the  door.  Once  more  Rover  mani 
fested  symptoms  of  restlessness,  and  paced  up  and  down 
the  library  like  a  caged  tiger,  growling  and  uttering  sub* 
dued  bays. 

"  What  in  the  devil  is  the  matter  with  the  dog  ? "  ex- 


HE    DEAD     Vi,iVE.  11 


claimed  Hez,  a  little  .impatiently.  "One  can't  hear  him 
self  think  while  he's  'goin'  on  at  this  rate.  I  should  say 
we  was  in  the  bush,-and  Black  Darnley  and  all  his  gang 
was  round  us.  Lay  down,  old  dog,  and  be  a  good  fellow.'1 

But  Rover  paid  no  attention  to  the  blandishments  of 
Hez,  for  he  remained  at  the  door  and  snuffed  at  the  thresh 
old  as  though  he  would  like  to  leave  us  for  a  few  minutea 
on  important  business. 

"  Come  in,"  I  shouted,  as  some  one  again  knocked  at  the 
door. 

Tho  head  of  my  reliable  housekeeper,  the  lady  who  had 
taken  charge  of  my  establishment  since  I  was  left  a  wid 
ower,  now  appeared  and  uttered  an  apology  for  disturb 
ing  me. 

"I  shouldn't  have  ventured  to  do  so,"  she  said,  "if  the 
gentlemen  were  not  so  persistent  in  seeing  you.  They 
said  that  they  must  see  you  this  night,  and  that  they 
would  not  leave  the  house  until  they  had  spoken  with 
you." 

"What  names  did  they  give?"  I  inquired. 

"They  said  they  couldn't  give  any  names,  for  you 
wouldn't  know  them  if  they  did.  They  look  as  though 
they  came  from  foreign  parts,  for  they  are  so  tanned  that 
all  the  lotions  in  the  city  couldn't  made  them  white." 

"-Some  of  your  naval  friends,"  suggested  Hez.  "They 
want  a  lark,  and  have  come  to  see  ef  you  wouldn't  jine 
'em.  Don't  do  it;  'coz,  if  you  do,  I  shan't  have  any  one 
to  talk  to  about  my  lost  and  gone  Martha." 

"Show  them  up,"  I  said ;  and  as  I  gave  the  order,  Rover 
dashed  from  the  room,  and  uttered  the  most  joyful  bays. 
The  dog  seemed  to  have  lost  all  his  usual  self-possession 
and  staid  dignity  —  something  unusual  on  his  part. 

"Confound  'em,  couldn't  they  have  let  me  have  one  eve- 
nin'  with  yer  all  alone  ?  "  muttered  Hez.  "  It's  jist  my  luck. 
Well,  I  haven't  bin  in  the  city  afore  for  three  months,  and 
now  some  cusses  happen  along  and  spile  my  visit." 

"They  won't  stay  long,"  I  said,  and  then  waited  for  my 
visitors  to  V-a  shown  to  the  library ;  but  somehow,  there 


12         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

appeared  to  be  a  most  unaccountable  delay  in  their  ap 
pearing,  for  five  minutes  elapsed  before  I  heard  footsteps 
approaching  the  room. 

Then  my  housekeeper,  with  a  flushed  face,  and  an  air  of 
the  deepest  agitation,  threw  open  the  door  and  admitted 
a  gentleman  who  was  so  much  muffled  up  that  I  could  not 
see  his  face,  for  he  had  on  a  cloak  with  a  large  standing 
collar,  and  was  so  impolite  as  to  wear  on  his  head  a  slouched 
hat,  that  was  drawn  down  deep  over  his  eyes. 

I  glanced  at  the  figure  as  it  entered  the  doorway,  and 
Baw  that  it  was  about  five  feet  eight  inches,  and  that  was 
all  I  could  discern,  for  the  cloak  hid  the  rest. 

"  Some  darned  beggar,  I'll  bet,"  muttered  Hez.  "  Don't 
give  him  even  a  piece  of  currency,  for  I'll  warrant  that  he 
don't  need  it." 

Even  while  Hez  was  speaking,  I  could  hear  Rover,  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  house,  utter  certain  howls,  in  a  sub 
dued  tone,  as  though  some  one  was  attempting  to  gag 
him,  and  prevent  his  giving  expression  to  the  joy  that 
filled  his  doggish  heart. 

"  Will  you  take  a  seat  ? "  I  asked  the  stranger,  and 
pointed  to  a  chair. 

The  intruder  shook  his  head,  but  remained  silent. 

"  I  knew  he  was  a  darned  beggar.  I  can  read  men  like 
a  book.  Don't  give  him  nothin',  and  keep  an  eye  on  yer 
silver  spoons,  or  ye  will  miss  some  of  'em,"  Hopeful  whis 
pered  across  the  table ;  and  I  ieared  that  the  stranger  heard 
the  words,  for  I  noticed  that  his  form  shook  as  though  with 
suppressed  indignation. 

"Hush,"  I  replied.  "Let  me  deal  with  my  own  ccm- 
pany  as  I  see  fit." 

Another  growl  from  Hopeful,  and  then  I  turned  to  the 
stranger. 

"Have  you  business  with  me?"  I  demanded.  "If  you 
have,  state  it  as  soon  as  possible,  for  I  am  engaged." 

"Will  you  give  me  a  drink?"  the  stranger  asked,  in  a 
gruff  voice,  that  did  not  sound  like  anything  I  had  heard 
before. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  13 

"  Certainly.  Throw  off  your  hat  and  cloak,  and  help 
yourself  to  a  glass  of  wine."  I  pointed  to  the  decanters 
and  glasses  that  were  on  a  side-table. 

The  stranger  followed  ray  instructions  as  far  as  the  wine 
was  concerned,  for  he  poured  out  a  goblet  nearly  full,  and 
then  sai  j,  — 

"A  long  life  and  a  merry  one  to  all  true-hearted  Austra 
lian  adventurers." 

I  sprang  to  my  feet,  and  so  did  Hez.  We  rushed  to 
wards  the  stranger  with  one  accord,  tore  from  his  head 
the  slouched  hat,  stripped  him  of  his  cloak,  and  then  there 
Btood  revealed  before  us  our  old,  esteemed,  brave-hearted 
friend,  Murden,  the  commissioner  of  the  mounted  police 
for  the  province  of  Victoria,  Australia  —  the  very  man 
who  had  fought  with  us,  starved  with  us,  made  money 
with  us,  and  would  have  died  for  us  if  it  had  been  neces 
sary. 

With  a  great  cry  of  delight  I  caught  my  friend  in  my 
arms,  and  then  Hez  caught  us  both  in  his  arms,  and  for  a 
moment  we  danced  around  the  library,  to  the  great  danger 
of  furniture  and  pictures. 

"In  the  name  of  all  that  is  most  welcome  and  cheerful, 
tell  me  where  you  came  from,  and  how  did  you  get  here  ?  " 
I  demanded,  as  soon  as  I  could  find  breath  and  voice. 

We  forced  the  Australian  into  a  chair,  made  him  drink 
another  glass  of  wine,  and  took  some  ourselves  for  the  pur 
pose  of  keeping  him  company. 

Hez,  as  though  it  would  assist  the  commissioner  in  ex 
plaining  matters,  commenced  patting  him  on  the  back,  as 
he  had  seen  mothers  do  when  their  infants  were  inclined 
to  strangle. 

"  Let  me  have  a  moment  to  breathe,  and  I'll  tell  you  all," 
Murden  said.  "  D— n  it,  let  my  back  alone,  old  fellow ! 
I'm  all  right,  and  don't  need  that  kind  of  treatment.  Now, 
then,  one  more  drink,  and  then  I'm  with  you  on  all  that 
you  need  for  explanations." 

u  Yes,  yes  ;  go  on,"  we  said,  impatiently. 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,  I'm  here." 


THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

"  We  know  that." 

"And  in  the  next  place,  you  must  know  that  I  left 
Melbourne  over  two  months  ago." 

"  Go  on." 

"I  wanted  to  see  you,  boys;  so  I  packed  up  my  lug 
gage  and  started.  I  came  by  the  way  of  California,  and 
this  night  have  arrived  in  Boston.  Now,  are  you  glad  to 
Bee  rue?" 

A  shout  was  the  reply,  and  then  followed  a  grand  hand 
shaking,  that  must  have  assured  Murden  he  was  indeed 
welcome  to  our  home. 

"  Some  one  is  with  you,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  the  excite 
ment  had  subsided.  "  We  must  have  him  up  here.  Any 
friend  of  yours  is  a  friend  of  ours.  Up  he  must  come!" 

For  a  moment  Murden  looked  a  little  embarrassed,  and 
then  said  : 

"  A  servant  of  mine.  Let  him  alone  for  the  present. 
He  will  do  well  enough  until  we  have  finished  our  con 
ference.  Now  tell  me  how  you  do." 

"  Well ;  but  we  have  met  with  misfortunes.  Our  wives 
are  lost  to  us  forever." 

"So  is  mine.  She  died  a  year  ago.  Let  us  sympathize 
with  each  other;  although,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  don't 
intend  to  break  my  heart  for  my  loss.  My  wife  had  the 
best  of  a  good  bargain  the  last  few  years  of  her  life.  But 
then  she  had  a  temper  —  a  devil  of  a  temper  it  was! 
Well,  peace  to  her  ashes;  I  shall  never  marry  again." 

"That  is  what  all  widows  and  widowers  say;  but  they 
forget  the  sainted  departei  after  sleeping  alone  through 
one  cold  winter,"  I  remarked. 

The  young  widowers  shook  their  heads  as  though  they 
had  no  longer  any  hope;  so,  as  I  saw  the  conversation 
was  disagreeable  to  them,  I  changed  it. 

"  Tell  us  how  it  happens  that  you  are  here,  old  friend," 
I  asked,  after  a  moment's  pause,  and  a  sharp  examination 
of  the  commissioner's  face,  to  notice  if  there  were  any 
changes. 

w  It  is  a  long  story,"  was  the  answer. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  15 

"Let  us  have  it;  and  while  you  are  spinning  a  yarn, 
And  telling  us  of  absent  friends,  my  housekeeper  shall  pre 
pare  dinner;  for  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  you  can  eat 
something." 

"  I  have  a  regular  Ballarat  appetite.  I  could  eat  an  ox, 
I  believe.  I  was  so  impatient  to  see  you,  that  I  did  not 
6  ,op  for  refreshments  after  arriving  in  the  city." 

"  Glad  of  it.  We  will  talk  over  past  adventures  while 
discussing  oysters  and  ducks.  I  am  so  rejoiced  to  see  you, 
that  I  haven't  words  to  express  all  that  I  feel ;  but  ques 
tions  will  pour  in  upon  you  before  morning." 

"  The  more  the  better.  But  now  let  me  tell  you  what 
has  transpired  since  you  left  Australia.  Two  months 
after  your  departure  for  home,  I  resigned  my  position  as 
commissioner  in  the  mounted  police  force." 

"  We  know  all  that.  Your  letters  informed  us  of  the 
fact." 

"I  thought  that  it  was  better  for  me  to  do  so,"  the  ex- 
commissioner  continued,  "  for  the  cursed  bushrangers  swore 
that  I  was  the  worst  enemy  they  had  in  Victoria,  and  so 
they  were  bound  to  kill  me  if  they  could.  I  have  no 
doubt  they  would  have  done  so  if  they  could  have  had  a 
fair  show  for  success.  As  I  had  saved  a  little  money  —  " 

Ironical  laughter  from  Hez  and  myself,  in  which  Mur- 
den  joined  most  heartily.  We  knew  that  he  had  salted 
down  many  thousands  of  pounds  in  the  course  of  his 
career. 

"  Well,  well,  we  won't  quarrel  over  a  word,"  Murden 
continued.  "I  had  so  much  money  that  I  wished  to  live 
and  enjoy  it,  and  not  run  any  more  risks.  The  governor 
and  council  begged  me  to  remain  in  office;  but  I  was 
firm,  and  refused ;  and  then  the  Parliament  voted  me  a 
gift  of  one  thousand  pounds  in  money,  and  fifty  thousand 
acres  of  land  on  the  banks  of  the  Lodden,  which  I  havo 
stocked  with  sheep  and  cattle,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
years  it  will  make  me  some  returns.  You  see  government 
did  not  behave  mean  to  me." 

"  Thunder .  I  should  think  not,"  ejaculated  Hez. 


16  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IX    EUiiOPE,    OB 

"As  soon  as  I  received  the  grants,"  continued  Murden, 
u  I  started  business  with  a  young  and  active  American, 
whom  I  had  long  known  and  loved  as  a  brother." 

"  Hey  ?  What  ?  "  Hez  and  I  cried,  in  tones  of  amaze 
ment. 

"An  American,  Jack,  whom  you  know,  but  Hopeful 
does  not.  I  think  that  he  never  saw  him." 

I  could  only  sit  and  stare  at  the  commissioner,  while  he 
upset  his  wine,  blushed,  and  acted  as  nervous  as  a  girl  who 
is  receiving  her  first  proposal. 

"In  Heaven's  name,  whom  do  you  mean?"  I  asked, 
and  almost  started  to  my  feet ;  for  I  had  a  presentiment 
that  I  was  to  hear  some  startling  news. 

"Jack,"  Murden  said,  and  his  stern  face  lost  all  its 
coldness,  and  I  saw  that  the  strong  man  was  trembling 
like  a  frightened  child. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  but  did  not  remove  my  eyes  from 
his  face,  for  it  seemed  as  though  I  was  incapable  of  exer 
tion.  A  dull  beating  of  the  heart  was  all  that  I  could 
feel. 

"Jack,"  my  Australian  friend  continued,  "I  told  you 
that  I  went  into  business  with  an  American  whom  I  loved 
and  esteemed.  Can't  you  guess  whom  I  mean?" 

"No,"  I  answered,  in  a  mechanical  manner.  And  I 
could  not  have  uttered  another  word  to  have  saved  my  life. 

Murden  got  up  from  his  seat,  and  came  and  stood  near 
me,  one  hand  resting  on  ray  shoulder. 

"My  dear  old  friend,"  he  said  in  a  sad  tone,  yet  with  a 
cheerful  smile,  "do  you  believe  that  the  dead  can  bo 
alive  ?  " 

I  should  have  sprung  from  my  chair,  but  Murden  held 
me  down,  and  I  saw  him  motion  to  Hopeful  to  hand  me 
a  glass  of  wine,  which  he  did.  I  swallowed  the  liquor, 
and  once  more  fixed  my  eyes  on  Murden's  face,  awaiting 
further  developments. 

"The  dead  alive!"  I  murmured.  "What  terrible  mys 
tery  have  you  to  relate  ?  For  God's  sake,  don't  keep  me 
in  susp .-  ase." 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  17 

"  Can  you  hear  something  more  wonderful  than  any 
adventure  through  which  you  have  passed  in  Australia  ?  " 

"Yes,"  I  managed  to  gasp. 

"  Then  be  firm  ;  for  the  dead  is  alive ! " 

He  threw  open  the  door  of  the  library  and  whistled  —  a 
shrill,  policeman's  whistle,  such  as  we  had  used  in  Aus 
tralia  when  danger  was  near,  or  help  was  wanted. 

There  was  a  sharp  response,  and  then  up  the  stairs 
bounded  Rover,  and  then  into  the  apartment  stalked  Fred 
Button,  whom  I  had  seen  buried  three  years  before,  a  tew 
miles  from  Boston. 

I  gave  one  wild  look,  uttered  one  wild  cry,  and  then 
fell  into  Murden's  arms  insensible ;  for  the  shock  was  too 
much  for  me.  I  could  not  realize  that  the  dead  waa 
alive. 


CHAPTER  II. 

IN  WHICH  FRED  RELATES  A  FEW  PARTICULARS  OF  HIS 
RESURRECTION  FROM  A  TOMB,  AND  WHAT  HAPPENED 
TO  HIM  AFTERWARDS. 

WHEN  I  recovered  my  senses  I  was  lying  on  a  lounge, 
with  shirt  collar  unbuttoned,  face  and  hair  wet  with  iced 
water,  and  Murden  and  Hopeful  chafing  my  hands,  and  at 
the  same  time  endeavoring  to  force  a  little  wine  down  iny 
throat. 

"  He's  all  right,"  the  commissioner  said,  when  he  saw  my 
eyes  opened.  "I  knew  he'd  come  round,  but  cuss  me  if  I 
'sposed  he'd  go  off  like  that." 

"  You  was  too  quick  for  him,"  Hez  replied.  "  Human 
natur  can't  stand  everythin'.  When  they  told  me  that 
Martha  was  goin'to  leave  me,  I  felt  jest  as  though  I  should 
go  too ;  but  I  rallied,  and  still  drag  through  existence  lika 
a  harrow  ;ver  a  rocky  field." 
2 


18  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,    OR 

"  What  did  you  play  such  a  trick  on  me  for?"  I 
Bitting  up  and  looking  around  the  library  for  the  strange 
face  that  I  had  last  seen  in  a  coffin. 

"  We  have  not  played  a  trick  of  any  kind  on  you,"  Murderi 
answered.  "  All  that  you  have  seen  has  been  real  live  flesh 
and  blood,  as  noble  a  specimen  of  a  Yankee  as  can  be  found 
in  this  section  of  the  country,  or  on  any  cattle  range  in  the 
States." 

I  looked  at  the  commissioner's  face  while  speaking,  and 
saw  that  he  was  as  grave  as  a  church  deacOn.  There  was 
no  sign  of  merriment  in  his  eyes.  The  man  was  serious,  if 
he  never  was  before. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Give  me  some 
explanation,  and  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  Can  you  endure  it  ?  Are  you  able  to  stand  another 
surprise  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

a  Be  sure  of  your  strength,  for  you  are  to  hear  something 
more  marvellous  than  romance." 

"  Is  the  dead  really  alive  ?  "  I  asked,  in  a  whisper,  en 
deavoring  to  suppress  a  shudder. 

"  Yes ;  will  you  see  your  old  friend,  or  will  you  wait 
until  you  are  more  composed,  and  have  gathered  your  scat 
tered  senses?  " 

"  I  will  see  him  at  once.  Reality  is  l&ss  painful  than  this 
suspense.  Let  him  come  in  and  convince  me  that  his  form 
is  composed  of  flesh  and  blood." 

The  door  opened,  and  in  came  Fred,  with  a  smile  upoii 
his  lips,  but  a  serious,  anxious  expression  upon  his  face. 

"Jack,  rny  dear  old  friend,"  he  said,  coming  towards  me 
with  extended  hand,  "take  me  to  your  heart  once  more, 
and  forgive  the  trick  which  has  been  practised  upon  you." 

I  touched  his  hand  and  found  it  warm.  The  next  instant 
our  arms  were  around  each  other's  neck,  while  Murden 
and  Hez  danced  a  species  of  Australian  jig,  to  show  how 
much  affected  they  were,  and  Rover  howled  and  barked  in 
chorus,  and  seized  our  coat  tails  in  the  axuberance  of  hit 
joy  at  the  reunion. 


THE    DEAD    ALFTE.  19 

At  thh  .instant  my  housekeeper,  who  had  been  let  into 
the  secrej  by  Fred,  while  Murden  was  preparing  me  for 
the  interview,  showed  her  honest  face  at  the  door,  her  eyes 
looking  rather  red,  as  though  they  had  recently  been  ac 
quainted  with  Wars. 

"  O,  what  a  blessed  hour  this  is !  "  she  said.  "  O,  what  a 
happy  meeting !  But  don't  talk  any  more  jest  now,  'cos 
dinner  is  ready,  and  I'm  afeard  it  will  get  cold  and  spile 
if  yer  don't  set  down  to  the  table  at  once.  You  can  talk 
and  eat  at  the  same  time,  I  know." 

No  one  paid  the  least  attention  to  the  old  lady,  except 
Rover,  and  he  seemed  inclined  to  obey  the  summons,  for 
he  cared  more  for  his  dinner  than  he  did  for  sentiment. 
But  when  he  found  that  no  one  was  inclined  to  follow  hia 
lead  to  the  dining-room,  he  uttered  one  or  two  growls  of 
disappointment,  and  then  lay  down  near  the  door  to  await 
events. 

"  Fred,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  I  could  find  words  for  utter 
ance,  "  how  could  you  deceive  me  for  so  many  years  ?  " 

"  You  shall  have  a  full  explanation,  old  fellow,  although 
I  will  not  warrant  that  it  shall  be  satisfactory.  But  you 
see  me  before  you,  alive  and  well,  and  just  from  Australia." 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Murden,  "  we  have  been  in  partner 
ship  in  Melbourne  for  the  past  three  years,  and  when  he 
longed  for  home  I  resolved  to  come  with  him  and  see  my 
friends  in  this  part  of  the  world." 

"  But  why  did  you  not  write,  and  let  me  know  that  you 
were  alive  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  For  reasons  which  I  will  give  as  soon  as  I  have  had 
my  dinner,  for  I  assure  you  that  I  am  quite  hungry  for  a 
dead  man." 

"  The  soup,  gentlemen,  is  spilin',"  the  housekeeper  once 
more  said,  thrusting  in  her  jolly-looking  face,  and  beaming 
at  the  group  in  the  library. 

"  Then  over  the  dinner-table  you  shall  tell  me  your  singu 
lar  story,"  I  cried,  and  led  the  way  to  the  dining-room,  to 
the  great  delight  of  Rover. 

We  were  soon  seated,  and  for  half  an  hour  only  the  most 


20  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN    EUROPE,    OB 

commonplace  remarks  were  indulged  in ;  but  as  appetite 
became  satisfied,  questions  were  asked  and  answered,  until 
the  dessert  was  placed  on  the  table,  and  then,  over  our 
coffee  and  wine,  Fred,  who  looked  as  natural  and  as  young, 
as  bold  and  as  noble,  as  when  we  worked  together  in  the 
mines  of  California,  or  tramped  through  the  bush  and  over 
the  sterile  plains  of  Australia,  told  me  the  great  secret  of 
his  life,  and  to  it  we  listened  with  wondering  ears. 

"I  never  had  but  one  secret  which  I  kept  from  your 
ears,"  Fred  said,  as  he  lighted  a  cigar.  "  It  was  of  no 
great  importance ;  but  it  worried  me  until  I  was  nearly 
distracted.  At  one  time  I  thought  of  confiding  it  to  you, 
but  feared  that  you  would  laugh  at  me.  So  I  kept  my 
own  counsel,  and  determined  to  bear  my  own  sorrows 
without  a  confederate." 

"  Was  that  like  you,  Fred  ?  Did  you  fear  to  trust  me 
with  your  sorrows  or  joys?"  I  asked. 

"No  common  ones;  but  this  was  so  serious,  and  yet  so 
laughable,  that  I  feared  ridicule." 

"A  woman  was  at  the  bottom  of  it,  I'll  bet,"  Hez  said. 
"  They  is  the  critters  to  raise  the  devil  with  a  man  !  They 
is  weak ;  but  I  tell  yer  they  is  strong  when  they  nas  a 
mind  to  put  a  feller  over  the  road." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  Fred,  with  one  of  his  cheerful 
laughs.  "A  woman  caused  me  all  my  uneasiness,  and 
ultimately  my  death ;  and  she  was  not  a  young  woman 
either." 

"  I  vow,  I'll  bet  she  was  a  widow,"  Hez  muttered. 

"  She  was  a  widow,  and  hjjd  three  children,"  Fred  said, 
with  a  face  that  attempted  to  be  grave,  but  did  not  suc 
ceed.  "  She  had  determined,  somehow,  to  have  me  tako 
the  dear  departed's  place,  and  be  a  father  to  her  sons ; 
but  I  objected  to  this  nice  little  arrangement ;  and  then 
commenced  a  struggle,  in  which  woman's  tears  and  man's 
natural  obstinacy  were  pitted  against  each  other.  I  was 
firm,  and  swore  that  I  did  not  want  a  wife,  and  ghe  was 
firm,  and  swore  that  she  wanted  a  husband,  and  that  I 
Was  tl.e  man  she  had  selected,  and  that  I  must  yield  my 


THE   BEAD    ALIVE.  21 

opinions  for  her  convenience.  She  said  that  I  had  kissed 
her,  and  talked  love,  and  love  meant  marriage  with  her." 

"  Had  you  kissed  her  ?  "  asked  Hez,  in  an  eager  tone. 

Fred  laughed,  blushed  a  little,  and  said,  — 

a  I'm  a  man ;  and  when  a  widow  makes  love  to  a  per 
son  like  me,  she  most  generally  gets  kissed ;  but  kissing 
does  not  mean  marriage,  although  some  women  seem  to 
think  so." 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  should  have  done  any  different  if  I 
had  bin  in  yer  place,"  Hez  remarked,  in  a  musing  tone. 
"I  allers  had  a  weakness  for  widders." 

Fred  did  not  notice  the  interruption,  but  continued  his 
narrative :  — 

"  All  this  time  I  kept  the  matter  from  your  knowledge, 
for  I  knew  that  you  would  scold  me*  for  getting  involved 
in  so  serious  a  combination  as  a  widow  and  three  children. 
I  also  feared  your  ridicule,  and  all  the  sensible  preaching 
which  you  would  utter  for  my  sake.  But  at  last  my  suffer 
ings  became  unendurable,  and  I  determined  to  die,  so  that 
I  could  escape  my  persecutor.  This  I  kept  to  myself 
until  I  had  arranged  all  my  plans.  I  made  a  will,  and 
left  a  portion  of  my  property  to  you,  Jack,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  but  that  you  thought  it  singular  that  the  amount 
was  so  small." 

tt  Yes,  I  wondered  what  you  had  done  with  all  your 
money,  as  I  knew  that  you  had  not  lived  fast  while  in 
Boston." 

"  I  invested  more  than  one  half  in  stock  in  a  fictitious 
name,  and  left  the  widow  five  thousand  dollars ;  but  I 
gent  the  money  to  her  in  a  letter,  and  told  her  that  I  was 
dying,  and  she  would  never  see  me  more.  I  need  not 
say  to  you  that  I  had  no  thoughts  of  stepping  out.  1 
meant  to  get  up  a  mock  funeral,  and  for  that  purpose 
arranged  with  an  undertaker  and  his  family  to  do  all  the 
honors ;  but,  faith,  while  I  was  laying  out  plans,  I  awoke 
one  morning  to  the  consciousness  of  being  unable  to  move 
hand  or  foot,  or  even  to  open  my  eyes.  The  fact  of  it  is, 
I  was  in  a  state  of  trance,  with  no  more  motion  or  feeluig 


22  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUEOPE,    OB 

than  if  I mwas  dead,  with  the  exception  of  being  able  to 
hear  and  understand  all  that  was  going  on.  This  inter 
fered  with  my  plans,  for  I  intended  to  have  written  a  let 
ter  to  you,  explaining  what  I  had  done,  and  asking  you  to 
meet  me  in  New  York  and  proceed  to  California,  where 
we  could  stay  a  year  or  two,  or  until  the  widow  gave  up 
all  thoughts  of  law  or  matrimony ;  and  I  assure  you  that 
death  was  preferable  to  either,  for  you  know  what  a  hor 
ror  I  have  of  law,  and  am  not  enthusiastic  on  the  subject 
of  marriage. 

"  But  there  I  was,  in  a  state  of  trance,  and  in  the  hands 
of  a  fellow  who  had  agreed  to  bury  me,  or  get  up  a  mock 
funeral,  for  so  many  hundred  dollars;  and  I  could  not  help 
thinking  that  the  scamp  would  chuckle  at  the  idea  of 
earning  his  money  so  easily.  I  strove  to  burst  the  bonds 
that  held  me,  to  call  out  for  help,  but  I  could  not  move 
even  a  finger ;  and  when  my  host  came  into  the  room  and 
saw  me  dead,  he  really  appeared  to  feel  rejoiced  that  all 
his  troubles  were  over,  and  that  he  could  clap  me  into  a 
coffin  and  put  me  away,  as  he  had  done  hundreds  of  others 
before. 

"  For  two  days  I  remained  in  the  trance.  You  arrived, 
and  shed  tears,  and  uttered  such  words  of  grief  that  I 
strove  to  speak  to  you,  and  could  not ;  and  then  I  was  put 
into  a  coffin,  and  I  felt  your  hand  on  my  brow,  and  felt 
your  tears  on  my  face ;  and  that  was  the  last  until  the  lid 
of  the  coffin  was  screwed  down." 

"  Devilish  uncomfortable  position  for  a  live  man,"  mut 
tered  Hez,  with  a  shudder,  while  I  was  too  interested  to 
Bpeak,  for  he  had  brought  up  the  scene  so  vividly  before 
me  that  I  remembered  to  have  spoken  to  the  undertaker 
about  the  warmth  of  the  body,  while  my  hand  rested  on 
my  friend's  brow,  even  after  his  remains  were  enclosed  in 
the  coffin,  and  had  been  told  that  it  was  a  common  thing 
where  death  was  so  sudden,  which  I  had  believed,  but  in  a 
half-doubting  manner.  O,  why  had  I  not  insist^ff  upon  a 
proper  examination  by  a  skilful  surgeon,  instead  of  the 
country  noodle  who  pronounced  my  friend  dead ! 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  23 

Fred  wet  his  lips  with  wine,  and  then  continued  his 
Btory. 

"I  remember,  when  the  coffin  was  closed,  how  you  told 
the  undertaker  that  I  should  be  placed  in  a  tomb,  and  not 
buried  in  the  ground,  for  that  you  meant  to  erect  over  my 
remains  a  monument  worthy  of  my  merits  as  a  man  and  a 
friend ;  and  those  words,  old  fellow,  saved  my  life."  And 
here  Fred  extended  his  hands,  and  took  both  of  mine  in 
his  usual  hearty  manner,  as  though  his  deep  love  had  not 
been  lost  by  years  of  separation. 

44  Go  on,"  I  said,  "  or  you  will  kill  me  through  anxiety 
to  learn  how  you  escaped  from  the  tomb  to  which  we  con« 
signed  you." 

Fred  took  a  deep  respiration,  a  fresh  cigar,  a  glass  of 
wine,  and  then  resumed. 

"I  was  placed  in  the  tomb,  and  my  escape  from  it 
was  through  the  ardent  desire  of  some  half  dozen  H. 
medical  students  to  acquire  science  in  a  short  space  of 
time,  by  cutting  up  such  bodies  as  fell  in  their  way  in  an 
illegitimate  manner.  The  dear  and  rather  wild  youths 
of  the  medical  class  of  old  H.  heard  that  a  rian  had  died 
suddenly,  without  visible  cause,  and  they  were  deter 
mined  to  investigate,  and  see  if  they  could  learn  a  little 
something  by  an  autopsy  of  my  body ;  and  for  this  pur 
pose  they  visited  the  tomb  in  which  I  was  placed.  They 
found  no  trouble  in  getting  an  entrance,  for  the  scamps 
had  been  there  before,  and  had  false  keys  to  the  locks. 
Perhaps  the  undertaker  knew  this,  and  received  some 
thing  to  keep  quiet  about  it ;  but  at  any  rate,  while  I  was 
wondering  how  many  days  it  would  take  to  starve  me  to 
death,  I  heard  a  slight  noise;  and  then  a  screwdriver  was 
eet  at  work,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  lid  of  the  coffin  was 
raised,  and  a  dark  lantern  was  flashed  in  my  face. 

"'  This  is  the  cove,'  said  the  fellow  who  held  the  lan 
tern.  *  He  ain't  altered  a  bit.  Out  with  him  at  once,  for 
we  have  no  time  to  lose.  He'll  cut  up  splendid,  I  know, 
for  his  flesh  is  so  firm.' 

"  The  scamps  rolled  me  out  of  the  coffin,  and  were  no! 


24         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

gentle  in  their  work.  I  was  struck  on  the  head,  and  the 
blow  started  my  blood  to  flowing,  and  broke  the  spell  that 
bound  me  in  fetters  like  death.  For  a  moment  I  waited 
until  I  could  get  the  kinks  out  of  my  cramped  limbs,  and 
then,  while  the  students  were  about  to  take  a  drink  in 
celebration  of  their  triumph,  and  while  they  were  remark 
ing  that  I  must  have  been  quite  a  hard  hitter  in  a  general 
muss,  I  slowly  rose  to  my  feet,  without  their  notice,  and 
startled  the  fellow  who  was  just  about  putting  a  bottle  of 
whiskey  to  his  lips." 

"  Egad,  I  should  think  so,"  remarked  Hopeful,  who  had 
sat  staring  at  Fred  while  he  was  relating  his  experience. 
"Darn  if  I  don't  think  I  should  have  hopped  some,  if  I 
had  bin  thai*.  I  don't  call  myself  a  coward — " 

"That  you  ain't,"  cried  Murden.  "I've  seen  you  in 
gome  tight  places,  but  I  never  saw  you  show  the  white 
feather,  even  if  the  odds  were  two  to  one." 

Hez  looked  gratified,  and  then  continued,  — 

"No,  I  ain't  a  coward;  but  I  tell  you  I  can't  stand 
ghosts,  and  if  there  is  anything  I  would  run  from,  'tis  one 
of  'em.  I  can  face  a  bushranger,  but  not  a  feller  what 
prowls  round  the  airth  arter  he  is  put  under  ground." 

"As  the  student  placed  the  bottle  to  his  lips,"  continued 
Fred,  "  I  reached  over  his  shoulder  and  snatched  it  from 
his  hand.  He  turned  round  and  gave  me  one  look,  and 
then  uttered  a  yell  that  could  have  been  heard  half  a 
mile.  His  companions  caught  sight  of  me,  by  the  aid 
of  the  lantern,  and  with  shrieks  of  terror  rushed  from 
the  tomb,  tumbling  over  each  other  in  their  haste  to 
escape. 

"  I  let  them  depart  without  further  molestation ;  for  I 
was  too  well  satisfied  at  my  release  to  frighten  the  fellows 
out  of  their  senses.  I  heard  them  jump  over  the  ceme 
tery  wall,  enter  their  wagon,  and  drive  off  as  fast  as  their 
horse  could  run ;  leaving  several  coats  behind,  which  I 
needed,  for  the  night  was  cold,  and  my  blood  was  thin, 
and  stomach  empty.  The  first  thing  that  I  did  was  to 
take  a  drink,  and  the  next  to  put  on  an  overcoat,  and, 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  25 

Lastly,  I  returned    thanks   to  Heaven    for  a  wonderful 
escape  from  a  terrible  death. 

"  The  liquor  revived  me,  and  gave  me  some  strength. 
Then,  by  the  aid  of  the  dark  lantern,  I  replaced  the  cover 
of  the  coffin,  screwed  it  down,  had  a  drink,  and  left  the 
tomb  with  as  thankful  a  heart  as  man  could  desire.  I  had 
been  laid  out  in  a  suit  of  dark  clothes,  boots,  and  stock 
ings,  which  was  quite  kind  on  your  part,  Jack,  and  very 
thoughtful,  and,  I  assure  you,  quite  useful,  as  I  found,  for 
there  was  no  danger  of  attracting  attention  as  I  walked 
through  the  streets  of  Cambridge,  on  my  way  to  some 
restaurant  where  I  could  get  a  square  meal,  for  I  was 
almost  frantic  with  hunger,  having  been  without  food  for 
several  days. 

"  I  was  fortunate  in  finding  a  cellar  that  was  kept  open 
all  night  for  the  accommodation  of  market-men  and  strag 
glers,  who  needed  food  in  the  course  of  the  night.  As  I 
entered  the  cellar,  the  person  who  had  charge  of  it  stared 
at  me  in  a  bewildered  manner,  and  rubbed  his  eyes  as 
though  he  could  not  trust  them.  I  gave  him  an  order  for 
half  a  dozen  different  dishes;  but  still  the  fellow  stared  at 
me,  and  did  not  stir. 

"What  do  you  see  to  look  at  in  me  ?  "  I  asked. 

" '  Beg  pardon,  sir,'  the  man  answered, l  but  you  does 
look  jest  as  though  the  trumpet  had  blown,  and  you 
had  come  out  of  a  graveyard.  I  should  take  yer  for  a 
ghost  if  I  should  meet  yer  anywhere  but  in  a  cook-shop. 
Ghosts  don't  eat,  I  believe ;  so  I  'spose  yer  is  flesh  and 
blood/ 

" c  You  may  be  assured  of  it  by  my  orders,'  I  rejiied ; 
*so  hurry  up  some  steak,  eggs,  and  coffee.' 

"The  man  gave  one  more  look  at  my  face,  and  then 
waked  up  one  of  his  assistants,  and  set  him  to  work  on 
my  early  breakfast ;  for  I  saw  by  the  clock  that  it  was 
just  three,  and  daylight  would  not  appear  until  six,  and  I 
could  do  nothing  until  I  had  thought  of  my  position,  and 
studied  it  in  all  its  various  phases. 

"  While  the  waiter  was  looking  after  my  meal,  I  stole 


26         THE  GOLD  HUXTERS  IN  EUEOPE,  OB 

a  glance  at  fig  ass,  and  saw  the  reason  why  I  had  aston« 
ished  the  fellow.  My  face  was  deadly  pale,  and  about 
my  throat  was  a  lace  band,  which  did  not  improve  my 
appearance.  I  tore  it  off,  for  it  was  too  tomb-like  to  be 
pleasant ;  and  when  the  waiter  appeared  I  told  him  that 
I  had  been  to  a  masquerade  ball,  and  was  on  my  way 
home  on  foot. 

" i  I  should  say,  sir,'  the  fellow  remarked,  *  that  yon  took 
the  part  of  a  corpse  quite  well,  and  I  hopes,  sir,  that  you 
didn't  frighten  the  young  ladies.' 

"  I  pretended  to  laugh,  and  then  remained  in  a  thought 
ful  mood  until  after  breakfast ;  and  with  food  came  reso 
lution.  I  was  dead  to  the  widow  and  the  world,  and  dead 
I  intended  to  remain  until  she  got  married,  or  was  buried. 
I  would  leave  this  part  of  the  country,  and  go  to  Cal 
ifornia  for  a  year  or  two ;  and,  after  writing  you  a  long 
letter  —  " 

"  Which  I  never  received,"  I  said. 

"  I  know  that  you  did  not,  or  you  would  have  met  me 
in  New  York,  as  I  desired  and  dearly  hoped.  I  waited 
for  you,  and  again  wrote  to  you ;  and,  receiving  no  answer, 
went  to  California,  from  there  to  China,  and  from  China 
to  Australia,  where  I  learned  you  had  been  for  some  years, 
but  had  sailed  for  home,  with  pockets  full  of  money,  just 
one  month  before  I  arrived.  I  felt  terrible  to  think  that  I 
had  missed  you,  but  could  not  explain  to  you  by  letter  all 
that  I  desired ;  so  resolved,  at  Murden's  solicitations,  to 
rsmain  in  Melbourne,  and  enter  some  business  with  him, 
hoping  that  you  would  again  pay  Australia  a  visit." 

tt  So  I  would  if  I  had  known  that  you  were  there.  But, 
my  dear  old  fellow,  are  you  aware  that  I  never  received 
your  letters,  and  that  in  Mount  Auburn  stands  a  monu 
ment  erected  to  your  memory?" 

"  Let  it  stand  there.  I  shall  want  it  some  day,  I  sup 
pose.  The  undertaker  must  have  cheated, you  when  he 
removed  my  remains." 

"  I  rather  think  he  did,  for  he  told  me  I  must  not  look 
at  you,  such  an  alteration  had  taken  place.  I  did  not,  so 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  27 

Hras  sold.  He  imagined  that  your  body  was  stolen,  and 
kept  the  news  from  me  for  fear  of  a  row,  and  losing  a 
good  job.  But  there  is  one  thing  you  have  not  told  me 
How  dare  you  venture  home?" 

"  Because  the  widow  is  married,  thank  Heaven,  and  her 
children,  present  and  future,  are  provided  for.  I  am  safe 
from  her  arts  and  temper." 

"But  the  fortune  that  you  left  me  I  shall  immediately 
restore." 

"  Bah !  I  have  money  enough  to  last  us  both  a  lifetime. 
Come,  old  fellow,  come  to  my  arms,  and  welcome  a  brother 
who  has  been  dead,  but  is  now  alive,  and  who  will  never 
again  separate  from  you,  unless  real  death  steps  in  and 
takes  one  of  us." 

We  almost  squeezed  the  breath  from  each  other,  and 
then  I  asked, — 

"  How  are  all  our  friends  in  Australia  ?  " 

"  Smith  is  a  member  of  Parliament  and  an  aristocrat. 
He  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  Victoria.  All  the  rest 
of  our  friends  are  well,  and  some  of  them  are  rich,  and 
some  none  too  well  off." 

"And  now  what  are  your  plans?"  I  asked. 

"  I'm  bound  for  England  and  Europe,"  answered  Mur- 
den.  "  I  want  to  see  the  old  country  once  more.  I  have 
money  and  time  enough." 

"  Let  us  all  go  with  him,"  I  cried.  w  What  is  to  detain 
us?  We  are  free  men,  and  need  new  adventures  to 
inspire  us  with  energy  and  enterprise." 

All  of  the  company  uttered  a  cheer. 

a  We  will  go  together,"  was  the  cry ;  and  after  a  gl&ei 
*f  wine,  we  sat  down  and  laid  out  our  plans. 


28         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EtROPE,  OB 


CHAPTER  III. 

ALL  ABOARD.  —  THE  THUNDERER  UNDER  STEAM.  —  THH 
FIRST  ADVENTURE. CHILD  OVERBOARD. TO  THE  RES 
CUE. —  IN  THE  WATER  AND  ON  THE  SHIP. 

WE  were  in  no  hurry  to  settle  our  proposed  trip  to 
Europe.  After  we  had  decided  to  go,  there  was  n* 
backing  down,  or  desire  to  originate  excuses  for  staying 
at  home ;  so  we  sat  over  our  coffee  and  cigars,  and  laid 
out  our  plans. 

"We  will  first  go  to  England,"  said  Murden.  "I  have 
business  in  London  with  the  government,  that  will  take 
me  a  week  or  two  to  look  after,  and  then  I'm  free  for  Ire 
land,  Scotland,  or  Wales." 

"  Or  France,"  suggested  Hez.  "  I've  bin  told  that  them 
Paris  women  is  stunners  for  show." 

"  Hear  him !  A  widower  talking  about  the  female  beau 
ties  of  Paris ! "  was  the  general  cry,  which  caused  Hez  to 
blush,  and  to  stammer  out  that  he  felt  so  lonely  that  he 
must  talk  about  something,  and  his  sainted  Martha  was 
always  uppermost  in  his  mind. 

"By  the  way,"  cried  Fred,  "let  me  propose  a  toast, 
which  I  know  you  will  all  join.  Here  is  health,  long  life, 
and  happiness  to  our  friend  Murden,  who  has  risen  from 
the  police  ranks  to  be  inspector,  captain,  commissioner, 
member  of  Parliament  for  Victoria,  and,  lastly,  a  member 
of  the  governor's  cabinet." 

This  was  news  to  Hez  and  myself;  so  we  cheered,  as  in 
duty  bound,  and  drank  the  toast  with  all  the  honors. 

"  To  tell  the  truth,"  cried  Murden,  while  a  flush  of  pride 
spread  over  his  face,  "I  was  a  member  of  the  cabinet  for 
two  months,  and  then  the  house  voted  that  it  had  no  coiv 
fidence  in  us ;  so  we  resigned.  I  was  secretary  of  agricul 
ture,  and  had  just  commenced  a  system  of  tilling  the  earth 
*hat  would  have  told  on  our  exports,  when  I  was  forced 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  29 

out.  All  great  men  Lave  their  ups  and  downs,  and  I'm 
not  exempted  from  the  common  lot." 

We  all  laughed  at  the  ex-minister,  but  he  took  it  in  such 
good  part  that  we  were  disarmed,  and  at  length  forced  to 
let  him  alone. 

"  We  can  take  a  look  at  Paris,"  Fred  said,  in  a  pause  of 
the  conversation. 

"  Blast  it,  we'll  go  everywhere,"  cried  Murden.  "  We 
Lave  money  enough,  and  can  afford  to  do  as  we  like  for  a 
year  or  two." 

"We'll  come  across  some  rare  adventures,  I  have  no 
doubt,"  Fred  suggested,  all  enthusiasm.  "  We'll  look  for 
them,  like  knight  errants  of  old ;  and  I  know  that  there  is 
not  a  man  of  us  who  will  shrink  from  rescuing  and  aiding 
maidens  in  distress." 

"Leave  'em  to  me,"  that  wretched  Hopeful  remarked. 
"  I'll  'tend  to  'em,  and  you  look  arter  the  men.  The  maid 
ens  comes  more  in  my  line,  you  see." 

One  would  not  have  supposed  that  such  was  the  case, 
to  have  looked  at  Hez's  sandy  hair  and  freckled  face; 
but  no  one  took  the  trouble  to  contradict  the  gentleman 
from  Hillsborough ;  so  he  was  satisfied,  and  the  rest  of  us 
were. 

The  night  was  well  advanced  before  we  had  concluded 
what  to  do,  and  had  arranged  all  our  plans.  I  was  to  take 
my  child,  a  smart  boy  of  four  years,  to  England,  and  leave 
him  with  his  grandparents,  Sir  William  Byefield  and  lady, 
while  I  was  travelling.  They  had  desired  me  to  visit  them 
for  more  than  a  year,  and  I  knew  that  they  would  be  de 
lighted  to  keep  the  boy  while  I  was  in  Europe  or  out  of 
it.  We  also  resolved  that  we  would  take  our  Australian 
weapons,  revolvers  and  knives,  but  leave  our  rifles  at  home, 
as  too  cumbersome  to  transport  all  over  the  continent; 
and,  lastly,  we  determined  to  secure  passage  for  England 
the  next  day,  and  sail  just  as  soon  as  we  could,  after  see 
ing  to  our  bills  of  exchange,  letters  of  credit,  and  othel 
matters  of  interest. 

"  And  what  shall  we  do  with  Rover  ?  "  asked  Fred,  lay* 


80        THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IN  EUEOPE,  OB 

ing  a  hand  on  the  dog's  head,  and  patting  him  —  an  atten 
tion  which  the  noble  animal  responded  to  by  a  dismal 
howl,  as  though  he  knew  the  subject  of  our  discourse,  and 
mourned  for  our  determination. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence.  All  looked  at  the  dog 
with  loving  eyes.  No  one  wanted  to  propose  that  he 
should  be  left  behind,  yet  no  one  was  bold  enough  to  sug 
gest  that  he  should  be  taken  with  us.  While  we  wero 
thinking  of  the  matter,  Rover  came  to  me,  and  placed 
both  paws  on  my  shoulders,  and  tried  to  give  my  face  a 
lick  with  his  huge  tongue  —  an  act  of  kindness  on  his  part 
which  I  declined  to  accept  just  at  that  time ;  but  the  look 
which  the  noble  brute  assumed  quite  touched  my  heart. 
My  resolution  was  formed  in  an  instant. 

"  Rover  goes  with  us,"  I  said,  in  a  tone  that  did  not  ad 
mit  of  argument. 

My  friends  gave  a  shout  of  delight,  and  Rover,  who 
understood  me  as  well  as  if  he  had  been  a  human  being, 
and  familiar  with  the  English  language,  uttered  such  a 
series  of  joyous  barks,  and  performed  such  a  variety  of 
gambols,  that  he  tumbled  against  Hez,  who  was  leaning 
back  in  his  chair,  and  down  they  both  went  to  the  floor, 
with  a  crash  that  jarred  the  house. 

"  Gol  darn  yer,"  said  Hez,  picking  himself  up,  "  yer 
needn't  go  in  sich  conniptions  jist  'cos  yer  is  goin'  with 
us.  Ye  has  got  to  behave  better  than  that,  now  I  tell  yer, 
when  ye  find  yerself  in  the  presence  of  all  the  kings  and 
queens  and  nobility  of  Europe." 

We  roared  at  Hez's  idea  of  the  company  which  we  were 
to  meet ;  but  Hopeful  was  not  in  the  least  disturbed. 

"You  jist  wait,"  he  said,  "till  them  kings  and  emperora 
and  sich  hear  that  we  is  with  'em,  and  then  you'll  see  if 
they  don't  send  for  us,  and  ax  us  to  lend  'em  a  helpin' 
hand,  or  want  to  borrer  money  of  us.  Jist  mark  my 
words,  now  I  tell  yer." 

We  let  Hez  have  his  own  ideas  on  the  subject,  thinking 
that  he  might  discover  his  error  in  the  course  of  his  trav 
els  ;  and  so,  afvsr  a  little  more  talk,  and  another  glass  of 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  81 

wine  all  round,  we  separated  for  the  night,  and  went  tc 
our  respective  rooms. 

The  next  morning  we  went  and  engaged  cabin  passage 
in  the  first-class  steamer  Thunderer,  Captain  Catall,  to  touch 
at  some  port  in  Ireland,  and  then  go  into  dock  at  Liver 
pool.  My  friend  Fred  and  I  and  Rover  occupied  one 
of  the  large  family  state-rooms,  while  Murden  and  Ilez 
roomed  together,  and  promised  to  be  jolly  all  the  passage. 

The  rest  of  the  day  we  spent  in  getting  ready  for  our 
journey.  We  bought  bills  of  exchange,  made  visits,  and 
showed  Murden  all  the  sights  of  Boston  and  vicinity ;  and 
while  we  were  dodging  from  place  to  place,  I  found  a  gen 
tleman,  just  married,  who  wanted  a  furnished  house  for  a 
year  or  two,  and  so  agreed  to  take  mine  at  a  fair  price,  and 
to  use  the  furniture  as  though  it  was  of  some  value  to  the 
owner. 

In  two  days'  time  we  had  completed  all  our  business, 
and  on  the  third  day  we  were  on  board  the  Thunderer, 
and  steaming  slowly  down  the  harbor;  and  as  I  stood  on 
the  quarter-deck,  holding  my  little  boy's  hand,  and  taking 
a  quiet  survey  of  my  fellow-passengers,  with  Fred,  Hez, 
and  Murden  near  me,  while  Rover  wandered  up  and  down 
the  deck,  delighted  at  some  signs  of  activity,  I  saw  a  little 
toddling  girl,  not  more  than  three  years  of  age,  run  up  to 
the  dog,  and  put  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  kiss  tho 
animal's  nose  and  face,  as  though  she  rather  liked  her  new 
acquaintance,  while  Rover  suffered  such  liberties  without 
remonstrance,  being  fond  of  children,  and  accustomed  to 
pulling  and  hauling  at  the  hands  of  Master  Willie,  my  son, 
named  after  his  grandfather. 

"  Take  the  child  away  from  the  dog,"  said  a  gentleman 
who  stood  near  me,  speaking  to  a  servant  who  seemed  to 
have  charge  of  the  little  girl. 

Just  at  that  moment  a  handsome  and  distinguished- 
looking  lady,  who  was  seated  on  the  quarter-deck,  turned 
her  head,  and  saw  the  position  of  the  child  and  dog. 

"O,  my  darling  child! "  exclaimed  the  lady,  with  a  little 
ecream.  "The  huge  brute  will  bite  you.  Bring  her  to 


82         THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IN  EUEOPE,  OB 

me,  Eliza.  Who  could  have  brought  so  Itfrge  an  animaj 
on  board '?  I  am  sure  a  steamer  is  no  place  for  a  dog." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  replied  the  gentleman,  whom 
I  supposed  to  be  her  husband,  and  the  father  of  her  child. 
"None  but  Americans  would  take  such  a  gross  liberty." 

"  Halloo,"  whispered  Fred ;  "  we  have  already  met  with 
an  adventure." 

The  girl,  who  seemed  to  have  charge  of  the  child,  start 
ed  to  obey  orders,  and  succeeded  in  separating  the  parties ; 
but  the  child,  not  relishing  such  treatment,  jerked  away 
from  the  nursery-maid,  ran  towards  the  rail,  and  before 
any  one  could  stop  her,  she  had  crawled  under,  and  stood 
on  the  very  edge  of  the  quarter-deck,  without  the  slight 
est  protection  from  the  water,  that  was  foaming  and  bub 
bling  beneath,  stirred  up  by  the  propeller. 

1  saw  the  danger,  and  so  did  others.  Her  mother  gave  a 
piercing  shriek,  and  exclaimed, — 

"  O,  Heavens !  my  child,  my  child ! " 

The  little  girl  uttered  a  crow  of  delight  at  her  posi 
tion,  clapped  her  hands,  and  laughed  at  her  mother's  out 
stretched  arms.  The  next  moment  the  ship  rolled  a  little, 
the  child  lost  her  balance,  and  over  she  went  into  the 
water,  twenty  feet  beneath. 

"  Child  overboard ! "  cried  out  a  dozen  men,  as  loud  as 
they  could  yell. 

a  Stop  her ! "  shouted  a  dozen  others. 

"Lower  a  boat! ".exclaimed  a  few,  and  rushed  towards 
one  of  the  cutters  that  hung  at  the  davits. 

I  heard,  above  the  noise  and  confusion,  a  loud  shriek, 
and  saw  that  the  mother  of  the  child  had  fallen  to  the 
deck,  quite  insensible. 

"  Here  is  a  chance  for  an  adventure,"  I  said  to  myself, 
and  ran  to  the  stern  of  the  steamer,  caught  a  glimpse  of 
the  child,  twenty  fathoms  off,  struggling  in  the  water,  its 
little  arms  tossing  wildly  about,  as  though  seeking  for 
something  to  grasp. 

I  gave  my  shoes  a  kick,  tore  off  my  jacket,  and,  with  a 
strong  jump,  struck  the  water  clear  of  the  propeller.  I 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  8'ii 

went  down  some  two  fathoms,  but  came  up  like  a  rocket, 
and  headed  for  the  little  girl. 

"  Fair  play ;  give  us  a  show  with  you,"  a  familiar  voice 
said ;  and,  looking  over  my  shoulder,  I  saw  Fred  a  fathom 
or  two  behind  me,  and  just  in  advance  of  him  was  Rover, 
both  of  them  swimming  like  fishes  for  the  child. 

"  Come  on,  old  fellow,"  I  cried ;  "I  am  glad  of  your  com 
pany.  Do  your  best,  and  we'll  save  the  girl." 

Rover  uttered  a  bark  of  delight  at  the  prospect  of  hav 
ing  a  lark,  and  in  a  few  seconds  was  up  even  with  me,  ana 
In  a  moment  we  were  on  the  spot  where  I  had  last  seen 
the  child. 

The  dog  glanced  around  as  though  he  did  not  under 
stand  her  disappearance,  and  looked  at  me  for  an  explana 
tion,  which,  as  I  was  in  a  hurry,  I  did  not  stop  to  give  him. 
The  child  had  sunk,  and  I  had  got  to  find  her,  if  possible, 
before  life  was  extinct. 

With  a  sudden  movement  of  my  body,  I  disappeared 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  commenced  my 
search.  I  swam  along  with  the  tide,  looking  to  the  right 
and  left,  up  and  down,  and,  as  the  water  was  clear,  could 
see  some  distance.  Thank  God,  my  efforts  were  not  in 
vain ;  for,  just  as  I  was  about  to  give  up,  and  rise  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  a  breath  of  fresh  air,  I  caught  sight  of 
the  child,  hurried  along  by  the  tide,  its  long  hair  stream 
ing  in  every  direction,  and  several  perch  apparently  eager 
for  a  feast. 

With  a  desperate  effort,  although  I  felt  as  if  my  eyes 
would  burst  from  their  sockets,  I  swam  forward,  and  suc 
ceeded  in  grasping  the  child  by  the  arm,  and  then  struck 
upwards;  and  when  I  reached  the  surface,  there  was  but 
little  breath  left  in  my  body,  and  I  felt  as  though  I  could 
hardly  sustain  my  own  weight. 

"  Here  I  am,  old  fellow,"  cried  a  cheerful  voice.  "  Give 
me  the  girl.  I  can  manage  her  while  you  get  your  wind. 
Yd  i  have  done  enough  for  one  day;  now  let  me  and  Rover 
do  our  share." 

Fred,  who  was  a  bold  swimmer,  while  speaking,  grasped 
3 


84  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

the  child  in  his  strong  arms,  and  Rover  seized  a  portion 
of  her  dress,  and  thus  they  floated  along,  waiting  for  the 
boat  which  was  just  lowered  from  the  steamer. 

"  Cv*  you  keep  up  ? "  asked  Fred,  who  had  an  eye  on 
me,  as  though  anxious  to  see  that  I  was  all  right. 

"Yes,  I  guess  so.  I  shall  regain  my  strength  in  a  mo 
ment.  Look  to  the  child,  and  be  sure  that  she  is  take  a 
care  of." 

"  O,  she  is  all  right.  Rover  has  got  his  eyes  on  her  and 
you  too.  Hadn't  you  better  let  the  dog  help  you  a  little? 
I  can  take  care  of  the  girl  for  ten  minutes  to  come,  and 
longer  if  necessary." 

But  I  found  I  did  not  need  help.  A  few  minutes'  float 
ing  on  my  back  restored  my  strength  so  that  I  had  no  fear 
of  drowning,  and  could  turn  my  attention  to  the  steamer, 
and  noticed  that  the  quarter-deck  was  crowded  with  pas 
sengers,  and  that  the  wildest  excitement  prevailed ;  for  the 
captain  of  the  vessel  was  urging  the  crew  of  the  boat  to 
renewed  exertions,  although  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  men 
were  doing  all  that  they  could  to  reach  us. 

"  Can  you  hold  out  a  little  while  longer  ? "  I  asked,  as 
I  swam  towards  Fred  and  Rover.  "  We  shall  soon  be 
picked  up." 

"  Yes,  we  are  all  right,  and  I  hope  the  child  is ;  but  she 
looks  awful  white  about  the  gills,  and  is  as  near  death  as 
is  comfortable  for  one  to  contemplate." 

"What  made  you  follow  me?"  I  asked,  as  I  floated  near 
the  group. 

"Well, when  I  saw  Rover  go  after  you,  I  thought  it  was 
but  fair  that  I  should  jump,  and  superintend  the  whole  lot; 
for  you  must  know  that  I  have  not  had  an  adventure  for 
a  year  or  more.  Something  tells  me  that  I  shall  see  quite 
a  number  while  we  are  together.  May  they  all  be  as  use 
ful  as  this  one." 

"Amen ;  for  if  the  child  survives,  it  will  be  another  caso 
t>f  the  dead  alive." 

"So  it  will." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence.    Rover  released  his  hold 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  35 

of  the  child,  and  licked  the  face  that  looked  so  corpse-like. 
I  trembled  for  fear  he  would  utter  a  death-howl,  which  he 
always  did  when  the  king  of  terrors  was  near;  but  he 
only  whined,  which  was  conclusive  proof  to  ray  mind  that 
life  was  not  extinct. 

"Bravo,  old  dog!"  I  said.  "You  encourage  us  to  think 
that  all  our  efforts  are  not  in  vain." 

"Thank  Heaven  for  that.  I  wouldn't  have  the  Iktle 
tiling  lose  her  life  for  all  that  I'm  worth.  But,  I  say,"  con 
tinued  Fred,  "what  prompted  you  to  jump  after  the  child?'' 

"Well,  because  the  dog  was  in  some  measure  to  blame 
for  the  accident;  and  then,  again,  I  heard  the  father  of 
the  child  utter  a  sneer  against  Americans.  We'll  put  him 
to  shame  for  the  words  that  he  spoke.  You  see  if  he  is 
not  sorry  for  them  when  we  get  on  board." 

"I  have  no  doubt  but  that  he  will  be;  but  recollect  that 
hereafter  I  must  have  an  even  chance  when  danger  is  to 
be  encountered.  Don't  think  that  I'm  disposed  to  submit 
to  imposition  of  this  kind.  Fair  play  is  all  that  I  want 
or  ask." 

"Can  you  hold  out  a  minute  longer?"  hailed  those  in  the 
boat ;  and  they  were  pulling  like  good  fellows,  although, 
through  excitement,  they  were  not  making  as  much  prog 
ress  through  the  water  as  they  would  have  done  had  they 
been  cool  and  collected.  In  fact,  I  saw  one  man  who  was 
so  anxious  to  pick  us  up  that  he  was  glancing  continually 
over  his  shoulders,  like  a  greenhorn  pulling  on  to  his  first 
whale,  and  thereby  caught  numberless  crabs  and  some  few 
oaths,  which  the  boat's  crew  hurled  at  his  head  for  his 
clumsiness. 

"  O,  yes,  we  can  hold  out  for  an  hour  or  two  yet,"  I  an 
swered,  and  then  gave  Fred  a  little  spell,  so  that  he  could 
rest ;  and  as  I  put  an  arm  round  the  child's  waist,  I  gianced 
at  its  face,  and  saw  that  it  continued  deadly  pale,  and 
showed  no  sign  of  life. 

"Poor  little  thing!"  I  said;  "I  fear  that  it  is  past  hu 
man  aid." 

"Never  say  die,"  was  Fred's  reply.    "While  there  is 


36  THE   GOLD   HUNTEES   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

life  there  is  hope ;  and  I  know  that  life  is  in  that  littie 
casket." 

"Here  we  are,"  cried  the  crew  of  the  boat;  and  in  went 
their  oars,  and  then  stout  hands  were  thrust  over  the  side 
of  the  cutter,  and  the  little  girl  was  raised  from  the  water, 
and  placed  on  cushions  in  the  stern -sheets,  while  willing 
hands  helped  Fred  and  myself  to  crawl  over  the  gunwale ; 
and  then  Hover  received  his  share  of  attention,  and  repaid 
it  by  shaking  his  huge  form  the  instant  he  was  in  the  boat, 
sending  showers  of  water  over  the  crew,  and  then  darting 
aft  and  licking  the  pale  face  of  the  child. 

"  Give  way,  men  ! "  cried  the  officer  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  boat.  "  Let  us  lose  no  time  in  getting  back  to  the 
ship.  The  life  of  the  child  depends  upon  your  efforts." 

As  the  men  shipped  their  oars,  Fred  and  I  passed  aft, 
and  my  companion  took  the  child  in  his  arms,  and  let  its 
little  curly  head  rest  upon  his  broad  breast. 

"I  tell  you  what  it  is,  gentlemen,"  said  the  officer  who 
had  charge  of  the  boat,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  steamer, 
"I've  seen  some  smart  things  done  in  my  sea-going  expe 
rience,  blast  me  if  I  haven't;  but  for  two  first-class  passen 
gers  to  jump  overboard  after  a  strange  child  is  a  little  more 
than  I  ever  heard  of  before,  now  I  tell  you ;  and  I  hope 
you  will  honor  me  with  taking  a  drink  with  me  as  soon  as 
you  change  your  clothes.  In  fact,  I  want  you  to  promise 
me  to  drink  with  me  regularly  every  day  through  the  pas 
sage.  I  can  honor  courage,  even  if  an  Englishman  is  not 
the  one  to  show  it." 

"  O,  we  will  take  a  drink  with  you,  never  fear,"  replied 
Fred ;  and  while  he  spoke  he  chafed  the  limbs  of  the  little 
girl,  and  looked  anxiously  towards  the  ship,  as  if  he  wished 
that,  we  were  there,  and  the  child  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
surgaon  of  the  vessel. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  officer ;  "  I  thought  you  would. 
Give  way,  men.  Stretch  your  backs  and  make  your  oara 
bend.  I  suppose,  gentlemen,  you  know  who  are  the  par 
ents  of  the  little  girl." 

"  No,  I  am  sure  we  don\"  I  replied. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  37 

"You  don't?"  cried  the  officer.  "Why,  you  surprise 
me.  I  supposed  that  you  knew  the  honored  parents  of 
that  precious  little  piece  of  humanity,  and  that  you  jumped 
overboard  to  show  your  respect  for  his  lordship." 

"  His  what  ?  "  demanded  Fred,  looking  up  in  surprise. 

"  Why,  the  Earl  of  Buckland.  This  is  his  child,  and  the 
mother  is  the  Countess  of  Buckland,  the  daughter  of  (be 
Duke  of  Boxborough.  They  were  passengers  with.U3 
when  they  came  to  this  country,  so  that  I  got  quite  well 
acquainted  with  them.  You  will  like  them,  I  assure  you; 
for  they  ain't  like  some  of  the  nobility  —  too  proud  to 
speak  to  us  plebeians." 

Fred's  lips  curled  while  the  officer  was  talking. 

"  We  care  as  much  for  his  lordship  as  he  does  for  us, 
let  me  assure  you.  We  should  have  made  the  attempt  to 
save  the  child  if  she  had  been  owned  by  steerage  passen 
gers,  instead  of  a  noble  earl.  What  we  have  done  is  mere 
play  to  men  like  us,  and  we  hope  that  his  lordship  will 
not  feel  that  we  must  be  noticed  because  we  jumped 
overboard." 

The  lieutenant  looked  a  little  puzzled,  as  if  he  did  not 
quite  comprehend  the  reason  of  Fred's  haughtiness ;  but 
before  we  had  a  chance  for  more  words,  the  cutter  shot 
alongside,  and  a  hundred  eager  voices  and  two  hundred 
willing  hands  were  ready  to  ask  questions  and  to  assist  in 
taking  the  girl  up  the  steps  and  down  into  the  cabin. 

tfMy  child!  O,  my  child!"  I  heard  the  countess  say,  as 
she  rushed  towards  us ;  but  her  husband  was  before  her, 
and  snatched  the  girl  from  Fred's  arms,  and  disappeared 
in  the  cabin. 


88  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUROPE,   OB 


CHAPTER   IV. 

DRIPPING  WET. HEROES    FOR    THE    HOUR. —A   1'AIR   OF 

BRIGHT  EYES. AN  INTRODUCTION.  —  AN  EARI/S  THANKS. 

A  PROMISE. 

OP  course  there  was  an  immense  commotion  on  board 
the  steamer,  for  a  nobleman  and  his  wife  cau't  meet  with 
a  great  misfortune  without  finding  many  sympathizers. 
The  falling  overboard  of  their  child  was  well  calculated  to 
make  the  passengers  open  their  mouths  and  their  hearts 
at  the  same  time. 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  sirs,"  cried  a  red-faced  English 
man,  with  a  square  body,  and  a  silk  hat  that  was  frightful 
in  its  ugliness;  "you  did  that  devilish  well.  I  couldn't 
have  done  better.  No,  sirs,  not  even  if  I  had  tried,  and  I 
wanted  to,  sirs ;  but  I  ain't  as  springy  as  I  used  to  be,  sirs, 
or  I  should  have  led  you  all,  sirs,  in  going  over  after  that 
precious  little  lamb.  Besides,  sirs,  I  don't  know  but  that 
I  have  forgotten  how  to  swim,  for  I  haven't  been  in  the 
water  since  I  was  a  boy.  You  see  the  reason  why  I  didn't 
plunge  in  after  the  treasure  —  don't  you  ?  " 

The  red-faced  man  did  not  give  us  time  to  speak,  for  he 
continued, — 

"  But,  sirs,  although  I  ain't  much  on  water,  I'm  death  on 
brandy,  and  I  shall  be  proud  to  drink  with  you,  sirs,  at  any 
time  you  are  disposed;  and  as  I'm  willing  just  at  this  mo 
ment,  suppose  you  come  to  my  state-room  and  taste  some 
of  my  vintage  of  thirty-one." 

We  declined  the  offer  with  all  the  civility  that  we  could 
muster,  under  the  circumstances,  for  men  don't  like  long 
harangues  when  they  are  shivering  in  wet  clothes,  and  feel 
that  a  change  of  dress  is  needed  as  soon  as  possible. 

I  glanced  over  the  quarter-deck  and  saw  that  my  son 
was  in  the  arms  of  a  matronly-looking  woman,  one  who 
%Pl*eared  quite  competent  to  take  charge  of  him;  and  after 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  39 

the  liltle  fellow  had  run  to  me  and  given  me  a  kiss,  and 
called  me  a  "  blessed  dear  papa,"  and  told  me  that  I  was 
wet,  and  naughty  to  leave  him  the  way  that  I  did,  Murden 
and  Hez  dragged  us  through  the  crowd  of  passengers,  all 
anxious  to  get  a  glimpse  of  us,  after  the  earl  and  his  count 
ess  had  left  the  deck.  Among  those  who  regarded  us  with 
interest  were  several  young  ladies,  whose  bright  eyes  and 
handsome  faces  rather  made  the  scene  flattering  than  oth 
erwise  ;  for  I  heard  two  or  three  of  them  whisper  to  each 
other,  as  we  passed  along,  — 

"  They  are  unmarried  Americans,  immensely  rich,  anU 
have  passed  years  of  their  lives  in  Australia.  They  are 
perfectly  splendid,  and  I  mean  to  get  an  introduction  just 
as  soon  as  possible." 

I  received  the  flash  of  a  pair  of  eyes  that  made  me 
shiver,  —  but  not  with  cold,  —  for  I  mentally  thought  that 
I  had  never  seen  anything  so  attractive  as  those  dark  eyes, 
which  were  full  of  merriment  and  sentiment. 

But  in  a  few  minutes  we  were  in  our  state-room,  and  had 
shed  our  clothes,  were  rubbed  dry,  had  taken  a  little  brandy 
and  water,  to  keep  out  the  cold,  and  then  felt  as  well  as  ever. 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  old  fellows,"  said  Murden,  as  he 
helped  himself  to  a  glass  of  brandy  and  water;  "this  is 
commencing  adventures  rather  early.  You  have  saved  the 
life  of  an  earl's  child,  and  he  won't  forget  it ;  now  you  can 
believe  it." 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  care  whether  he  does  or  not,"  re 
turned  Frank.  "You  know  us  well  enough  to  be  aware 
that  we  don't  care  whose  child  it  is." 

"Yes,  yes,  I  know  all  that;  but  don't  you  fly  in  the  face 
of  luck  or  chance !  Meet  the  earl  with  that  courtesy  which 
is  so  characteristic  of  my  American  friends,  and  he  may  do 
you  a  favor,  and  me  also,  for  I  have  a  mission  to  accom 
plish  for  Australia,  and  his  lordship  can  help  me." 

Just  at  this  moment,  some  one  knocked  at  the  door  of 
our  state-room,  and  the  captain  of  the  Thunderer,  followed 
by  a  servant  bearing  glasses  and  two  bottles  of  champagne, 
entered  the  apartment,  and  sat  down  in  one  of  the  berths. 


40  THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  bluff  commander,  "I'm  d — d  glad 
to  know  that  I've  got  such  perfect  bricks  on  board  the 
steamer,  and  I'm  blasted  glad  to  tell  you  that  the  child  is 
all  right  and  tight,  and  that  his  lordship  is  pumping  tears 
out  of  his  eyes  as  fast  as  though  he  was  worked  by  a  don 
key-engine,  while  her  ladyship,  the  countess,  is  so  rejoiced 
at  the  safety  of  her  darling,  that  she  can't  do  anything  but 
tack  up  and  down  the  cabin  and  shuffle  her  hands." 

The  captain  paused  for  a  moment,  after  this  long  speech, 
and  then  took  a  long  breath,  and  continued,  — 

"  I  come  here  to  say  that  I  must  drink  with  you,  gentle 
men,  and  I  have  but  little  time  to  spare,  before  the  pilot  is 
discharged.  Open  the  champagne,  Sam,  and  let  us  imbibe. 
Now,  then,  here  we  go,  all  of  us.  A  good  passage  and  a 
merry  one,  and  when  you  return  to  the  States,  don't  fail 
to  come  with  me,  for  I  know  how  to  make  people  comfort 
able.  I  ain't  such  a  d — d  stuck-up  cuss  as  some  of  tho 
captains  of  the  line,  although  I  say  it,  who  shouldn't.  Here 
we  go ! "  And  the  wine  went  down  his  throat,  hissing  like 
water  thrown  on  hot  iron. 

Luckily  for  us,  the  pilot  sent  foe  the  captain ;  so  we 
missed  losing  our  heads  with  wine,  for  the  commander 
could  take  an  awful  share  of  liquor  and  never  show  that 
he  had  wet  his  lips. 

As  soon  as  the  captain  was  gone,  we  finished  our  toilets, 
gave  our  wet  clothes  to  the  steward  for  drying,  and  then 
went  on  deck  to  take  a  last,  fond  look  at  our  own  native 
land,  and  to  smoke  our  cigars  with  some  comfort.  To  do 
this,  we  went  forward  and  passed  up  the  fore-hatchway, 
and  were  thus  enabled  to  escape  notice  from  the  passen 
gers,  who  still  crowded  the  quarter-deck,  undisturbed  by 
seasickness. 

But  Rover  had  suddenly  risen  to  the  rank  of  a  hero, 
and  betrayed  us.  He  had  been  petted,  and  made  much  of 
by  the  ladies  and  gentlemen,  so  wandered  around  whilo 
we  were  in  the  cabin ;  but  when  we  reached  the  deck,  tho 
animal  seemed  to  be  aware  of  the  fact,  and  came  bounding 
towards  us,  uttering  his  joy  in  lively  barks. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  41 

"Down,  Rover,  and  keep  still,"  I  said;  and  the  dog 
obeyed  without  the  least  hesitation. 

"  This  must  be  the  gentleman  who  owns  the  hound,"  I 
heard  a  sweet  voice  say ;  and  turning  around,  I  saw  the 
young  girl  with  the  dark,  glorious  eyes  and  beautiful  face 
—  the  same  one  I  had  noticed  when  I  was  entering  the 
cabin  dripping  wet. 

She  was  leaning  on  the  arm  of  an  elderly  gentleman,  who 
looked  enough  like  her  to  be  her  father.  At  any  rate,  I 
hoped  that  he  was,  for  if  he  had  said  that  he  was  her  hus 
band,  I  should  have  kicked  him  overboard,  and  taken  good 
care  that  Rover  remained  on  deck. 

I  turned  to  the  fair  speaker  and  raised  my  hat,  which 
she  acknowledged  by  a  bow  and  a  smile  that  displayed  a 
row  of  teeth  even  and  dazzlingly  white. 

"  If  you  mean  the  fellers  what  went  overboard  arter  the 
gal,  these  is  the  ones,"  cried  that  wretched  Hez,  who 
thought  that  he  saw  a  chance  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  a  pretty  girl  and  display  some  of  his  fascinations  at  the 
same  time.  He  pointed  to  Fred  and  myself,  and  we  ac 
knowledged  the  notice  by  a  smile,  but  not  the  least  feeling 
of  shame  for  Hopeful's  impulsiveness,  even  if  it  was  a  lit 
tle  out  of  place  just  at  that  moment. 

"  I  was  comrade  and  partner  with  this  one,"  continued 
Hez,  slapping  me  on  the  back.  "  We  was  like  brothers  to 
each  other  in  Australia,  and  many  is  the  time  he  has  saved 
my  life  and  put  gold  dust  in  my  pockets  at  the  same  time. 
He  is  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  he  is;  and  so  is  the  other 
one,  although  I  ain't  so  much  acquainted  with  him." 

The  young  lady  smiled,  although  she  tried  to  prevent  do 
ing  so ;  but  I  saw  lots  of  mirth  in  her  bright  eyes,  so  knew 
that  she  had  a  happy  and  joyous  disposition. 

"Hush,  Hez,  for  Heaven's  sake,"  I  whispered  to  my 
friend.  "Don't  make  me  ridiculous." 

"  I  shan't  stop,  either !  "  cried  Hez,  the  champagne  hav 
ing  made  him  bold.  "  I  has  a  right  to  praise  my  friends, 
and  will,  when  they  is  jolly  good  fellows." 

Thank  Heaven,  Ma  *len,  who  was  always  on  hand,  and 


42  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUROPE,   OB 

ready  to  do  the  right  thing  and  at  the  right  time,  saw  that 
I  wanted  to  speak  to  the  owner  of  the  black  eyes  (he  knew 
my  weakness,  as  well  as  Fred),  so  pretended  that  he  saw  a 
whale,  and  got  Hez  to  the  forward  part  of  the  ship,  and 
out  of  our  way. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  elderly  person,  on  whose  arm  the 
lady  was  leaning,  "  this  is  my  daughter,  Miss  Josephine 
Goldthwaite." 

Once  more  we  raised  our  hats  and  bowed  low,  and  seri 
ously  considered  if  we  should  throw  away  our  cigars,  al 
though  we  were  on  smoking-ground. 

"My  daughter,"  the  father  continued,  " is  desirous  of 
testifying  to  you,  gentlemen,  in  person,  the  esteem  in  which 
she  holds  your  gallant  deed  in  saving  the  life  of  the  little 
girl.  It  was  a  brave  action,  and  merits  brave  words  of 
praise." 

We  introduced  ourselves,  and  were  soon  chatting  on 
terms  of  familiarity  with  the  father  and  daughter;  and  then 
Fred,  the  kindest  hearted  fellow  in  the  world,  saw  that  I 
liked  the  lady  a  little  better  than  I  did  the  parent,  so  re 
solved  to  give  me  a  chance.  In  a  few  words  he  interest 
ed  Mr.  Goldthwaite  in  matters  connected  with  Australia ; 
and  then  the  old  gentleman  dropped  his  daughter's  arm 
and  walked  off  with  Fred,  leaving  Miss  Josephine  in  my 
company. 

"Is  your  wife  with  you,  Mr.  Jack?"  the  lady  asked,  as 
soon  as  we  were  alone. 

"I  have  no  wife,"  I  answered,  and  turned  away  mj 
head,  for  the  question  awakened  recollections  which  I  did 
not  wish  disturbed. 

"Forgive  me,"  she  said,  "for  speaking  so  thoughtlessly; 
but  I  saw  your  child,  and  so  supposed  that  his  mother  was 
with  him." 

"  I  hope  that  she  is,"  I  replied,  only  by  a  powerful  effort. 
UI  trust  that  her  spirit  is  hovering  near  him  and  me,  day 
and  night,  and  that  its  presence  will  make  us  purer  and 
tetter." 

The  lady  did  not  repV,  although  I  could  see  that  she  felt 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  43 

sorry  for  having  awakened  painful  recollections  in  my 
breast.  For  a  few  minutes  we  remained  silent,  and  then, 
as  the  ship  rolled  a  little,  rendering  the  lady  slightly  un- 
Bteady,  I  offered  her  my  arm,  which  she  accepted  without 
a  moment's  hesitation,  and  we  walked  up  and  down  the 
deck,  with  as  much  precision  as  two  old  sailors. 

"  You  have  been  on  the  ocean  before,"  I  said,  noting 
how  firm  was  her  step,  and  yet  how  light,  in  spite  of  the 
heavy  swell  that  began  to  meet  the  steamer,  and  caused 
her  to  roll  and  pitch  —  a  foretaste  of  what  was  to  come. 

"  O,  yes ;  I  have  crossed  the  ocean  three  or  four  times, 
and  have  resided  in  Paris  several  years.  In  fact,  I  com 
pleted  what  little  education  I  received  in  that  city." 

"  And  you  are  now  on  your  way  there  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Yes;  father  has  some  business  there  which  is  of  great 
importance.  I  wish  that  I  dared  to  tell  you  what  it  is ; " 
and  the  lady  looked  up  in  my  face  to  see  if  it  was  a  trust 
ing  one. 

"Perhaps  he  will  think  me  worthy  of  his  confidence 
before  the  passage  is  over,"  I  remarked. 

"  O,  I  know  he  will,"  cried  the  impulsive  lady.  "  While 
you  were  saving  the  child,  he  remarked  to  me  that  those 
young  gentlemen  had  courage  and  dash,  and  might  help 
him  if  you  were  in  Paris." 

"  Good,"  I  said.  "  We  will  be  in  Paris  several  months, 
and  nothing  would  delight  me  more  than  the  opportunity 
to  be  of  service  to  yourself  or  father." 

"  O,  I  am  so  pleased  to  hear  you  say  that ! "  Miss  Josie 
replied ;  and  then,  for  fear  that  she  had  gone  too  far  in  her 
frankness,  blushed  and  hesitated. 

"I  am  sure  you  cannot  be  more  pleased  than  myself  at 
the  opportunity  of  meeting  in  Europe,  only  I  fear  that  in 
Paris  you  will  forget  your  steamship  acquaintances." 

"  Never  fear,"  was  the  laughing  response.  "  Brave  deeds 
are  not  so  easily  forgotten,  and  I  know  that  you  and  your 
friend  are  brave  men." 

"Thank  you.  I  shall  tell  him  of  your  opinion.  We 
will  treasure  it  as  valuable." 


44  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

"  Don't  laugh  at  me,"  the  lady  said,  and  her  dark  eyes 
began  to  look  serious ;  so  I  hastened  to  assure  her  that  I 
never  thought  of  such  a  thing  as  smiling  at  her  words,  and 
in  an  instant  the  cloud  passed  from  her  beautiful  face. 

"  Come,"  she  said,  at  length,  "  I  hear  that  you  have  quite 
a  romantic  history.  Some  one  tells  me  that  you  have 
passed  years  in  the  bush,  and  gold  mines  of  Australia,  and 
that  you  were  in  continual  danger  while  there.  Is  such 
the  case?" 

"  Yes ;  we  met  with  danger,  and  overcame  it,  in  Austra* 
lia,"  I  replied. 

"Do  tell  me  all  about  it  —  won't  you?"  the  lady  asked. 
"  If  you  don't,  my  father  will  take  me  to  the  quarter-deck, 
for  I  see  that  he  is  looking  this  way,  as  though  he  feared 
you  were  tired  of  me." 

"  Heaven  forbid ! "  I  exclaimed,  most  fervently ;  so  seri 
ous,  in  fact,  that  the  lady  laughed,  and  then  tried  to  look 
grave,  but  did  not  succeed.  I  was  in  the  hands  of  a  gay 
coquette,  and  she  was  giving  me  her  first  instructions  in 
the  great  art  of  making  herself  agreeable,  so  that  I  should 
follow  in  her  train  of  admirers,  and  worship  her  as  others 
had  done. 

"We  shall  see,"  I  muttered  to  myself,  as  I  read  her 
thoughts,  plain  as  words  spoken  aloud ;  and  then  I  com 
menced  an  account  of  my  experiences  in  Australia,  and 
told  her  how  we  had  suffered  and  fought,  and  had  at  last 
succeeded,  although  the  odds  were  against  us. 

"  You  must  be  a  persevering  gentleman,"  she  remarked, 
as  I  concluded  a  history  of  a  struggle  that  I  had  been  en 
gaged  in  at  Gulchtown,  Victoria,  where  the  odds  were  so 
great  against  us,  that  it  seemed  as  though  we  must  fail  in 
our  efforts  to  secure  the  release  of  two  young  girls  who 
had  been  captured  by  some  bushrangers. 

"  I  am  firm  in  the  right  cause,"  I  replied.  "  I  would  not 
be  weak  if  justice  was  on  my  side." 

She  mused  on  the  answer,  and  I  saw  that  it  did  not 
please  her;  yet  she  did  not  know  how  to  reply  to  it,  and 
itill  keep  up  her  character  for  good  nature ;  but  luckily 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  45 

just  at  this  moment  we  saw  approaching  us  the  father  of 
the  child,  the  little  girl  whom  we  had  saved. 

"  Here  comes  the  Earl  of  Buckland,"  Miss  Josie  said* 
"  He  is  about  to  thank  you  for  what  you  have  done.  Per 
haps  I  had  better  join  my  father,  and  let  him  talk  to  you 
without  being  restrained  by  my  presence." 

"And  thereby  deprive  me  of  a  greater  pleasure  than 
his  words  can  convey.  Please  remain  with  me,  and  hear 
what  he  has  to  utter." 

"  Do  you  sincerely  wish  it  ? "  asked  the  little  coquette, 
with  a  look  that  was  perfectly  irresistible ;  and  it  seemed 
to  me  that  I  never  saw  so  much  fun  in  a  woman's  eyes. 

"Certainly  I  do.  Let  us  hear  what  his  lordship  has 
to  say." 

"  Well,  I  will ;  for  I  want  to  know  how  an  earl  will  ex 
press  himself  when  grateful." 

His  lordship  came  towards  me,  and  extended  his  hand, 
and,  as  he  did  so,  said,  — 

"  I  think  you  are  one  of  the  gentlemen  who  saved  the 
life  of  my  child." 

I  bowed,  and  the  earl  continued, — 

"I  cannot  find  words  to  express  to  you  the  gratitude 
which  I  feel  for  your  kindness  and  bravery ;  and  my  wife 
desires  me  to  say  that  she  wishes  to  thank  you  in  person 
for  what  you  have  done,  and  that  your  name  will  be  re 
membered  in  her  prayers." 

"  The  child  has  quite  recovered,  I  hope ; "  for  I  saw  that 
the  earl  expected  me  to  say  something,  and  that  seemed 
the  most  appropriate. 

"Nearly  recovered,  thanks  to  the  skill  of  the  surgeon  of 
the  ship;"  and  then  the  earl  turned  to  Miss  Josie,  who 
was  leaning  on  my  arm,  and  addressed  her. 

"  Ah,  madam,"  he  said,  with  a  most  courtly  bow,  "  you 
should  be  protil  of  your  husband,  for  he  has  shown  him 
self  capable  of  noble  deeds." 

I  felt  the  blood  rush  to  my  face ;  and  then  the  little  co 
quette,  who  was  clinging  to  my  arm,  had  the  impudence 
to  laugh,  and  cover  her  eyes  with  her  hands. 


46         THE  GOLD  HUNTEES  IN  EUEOPE,  OB 

His  lordship  looked  a  little  surprised,  and  for  a  moment 
was  embarrassed,  although  he  little  suspected  how  he  had 
blundered.  I  saw  that  he  wanted  an  explanation,  so  has* 
tened  to  give  him  one. 

"  You.  compliment  me  too  highly  when  you  assign  me 
the  position  of  husband  to  this  lady.  She  has  no  mate,  and 
I  fear  does  not  want  one." 

The  earl  smiled,  and  then  I  introduced  him  to  Miss 
Josie  in  due  form.  Fred  and  Mr.  Goldthwaite  at  thia 
moment  joined  us,  and  conversation  became  general,  and 
rather  pleasant ;  for  we  found  the  earl  did  not  manifest 
that  haughtiness  which  we  expected,  was  well  informed 
on  all  matters,  and  deeply  interested  in  Australia,  so  that 
Murden  had  an  opportunity  to  lay  before  his  lordship  some 
plans  and  expectations  which  he  had  formed,  and  the  earl 
promised  his  influence  in  carrying  them  out.  Hez,  who 
had  never  seen  a  live  earl  before,  did  nothing  but  walk 
around  the  great  man  and  examine  him  from  every  point, 
as  though  he  was  desirous  of  contracting  him  with  other 
men,  and  making  a  note  of  the  difference ;  and  so  well 
satisfied  was  he  of  the  survey,  that  he  could  not  help  ex 
claiming,  — 

"  I'll  be  gol  darned  ef  he  ain't  as  much  like  me  as  a  piece 
of  cheese ! " —  a  remark  that  caused  Miss  Josie  to  cover  her 
mouth  with  her  handkerchief,  to  prevent  exploding  with 
laughter. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  earl,  with  a  pleasant  smile,  "  I  am,  like 
you,  but  a  man,  and  have  done  nothing  to  entitle  me  to  a 
better  position  in  the  world  than  yourself.  Fortune  fa 
vored  my  ancestors,  however,  and  they  were  created  no 
bles.  I  believe  they  performed  some  chivalrous  actions  in 
the  reign  of  Henry  the  Eighth,  and  you  see  I  am  reaping 
the  benefit  of  it." 

The  earl  rather  underrated  his  talents,  for  he  was  noted 
as  a  statesman  all  through  Europe,  and  had  served  as  gov« 
ernor-general  of  C.  for  several  years. 

We  promished  to  grant  the  countess,  his  wife,  an  in 
terview  in  the  course  of  the  day ;  and  then  his  lordship 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  47 

left  us  to  chat  without  feeling  the  reserve  of  his  pres 
ence. 

"  Jack,"  said  Fred,  as  his  lordship  left  us,  "  I  have  un 
dertaken  an  adventure  on  account  of  us  four,  which  I  think 
will  occupy  some  of  our  time." 

"  Good.     Let  us  hear  what  it  is." 

At  this  moment  Miss  Josie  whispered  me  to  remember 
her,  and  then  left  me  for  the  quarter-deck,  as  though  she 
feared  to  hear  what  was  to  come. 

"Mr.  Goldthwaite  can  afford  all  explanations,"  Fred  said; 
and  we  looked  to  him  for  them. 

"Gentlemen,"  Mr.  Goldthwaite  remarked,  "I  want  to 
enlist  your  services  for  a  noble  object,  or  I  should  not  ask 
your  aid.  Will  you  promise  me  such  assistance  as  you 
can  command,  in  case  I  call  upon  you  in  Paris  or  in  Ger 
many  ?  " 

"We  will,"  was  the  response  from  all  four. 

"There  will  be  danger  to  encounter;  but  if  you  are 
successful,  you  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
you  have  brought  peace  to  a  parent's  heart  and  rest  to  a 
lady's  mind.  I  have  a  daughter  a  year  older  than  the  one 
on  board.  Through  the  machinations  of  an  aunt,  a  de 
vout  Catholic,  she  is  incarcerated  in  a  convent;  but  where 
I  have  not  learned." 

"  We  must  discover  her  retreat,"  we  all  cried,  with  one 
accord. 

"And  you  will  aid  me  in  rescuing  her,  even  if  force  ia 
necessary  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Goldthwaite. 

"We  will." 

We  shook  hands  on  the  promise,  and  then  the  fathei 
told  us  the  history  of  his  daughter. 


48  THE    GOLD    HUNTEKS   IN   EUKOPE,  OB 


CHAPTER    V. 


THE  EARL  AND  COUNTESS. A  COQUETTE. QUEENS- 
TOWN  AND  A  SUKPKISE. 

WE  were  much  interested  in  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  and  pre 
pared  to  listen  to  his  story  with  great  interest.  He  had 
excited  our  curiosity  by  stating  that  one  of  his  children 
was  imprisoned  in  a  convent,  through  the  arts  of  a  relative, 
and  we  had  promised  to  assist  in  the  lady's  rescue  at  every 
hazard.  Perhaps  Miss  Josie's  bright  eyes  had  been  the 
means  of  predisposing  me  in  favor  of  butting  my  head 
against  a  stone  wall,  or  any  other  obstacle,  so  that  I  could 
win  a  smile  from  her,  or  a  glance  of  gratitude  for  whatever 
I  undertook.  For  this  reason  I  paid  much  deference  to 
the  father,  and  my  companions,  seeing  that  such  was  the 
case,  followed  my  example. 

"Two  years  ago,"  commenced  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  "I  left 
my  eldest  daughter  in  Paris,  in  charge  of  her  aunt,  while  I 
returned  home  with  my  other  child,  the  youngest.  I  ex 
pected  to  return  to  Paris  in  the  course  of  six  months,  but 
business  detained  me,  so  that  I  was  unable  to  get  away ; 
but  that  circumstance  did  not  cause  me  anxiety  until  six 
months  since,  when  I  received  letters  from  France  stating 
that  my  child  and  her  aunt  were  under  considerable  Cath 
olic  influence,  and  that  I  had  better  pay  some  attention  to 
the  matter  if  I  disapproved  of  such  intimacy.  I  thought 
that  there  was  needless  alarm,  and  considered  my  sister 
strong-minded  enough  to  take  care  of  her  religious  princi 
ples  as  well  as  those  of  my  child ;  but  here  I  made  a  com 
mon  mistake ;  for  the  mind  which  I  supposed  strong  was 
the  very  element  that  was  worked  upon,  and  with  such 
force  that  my  daughter  was  carried  away  by  entreaties  and 
tears,  and,  as  she  informed  me  in  a  letter,  the  good  of  her 
eoul  required  that  she  should  enter  a  convent,  and  so  end 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  49 

her  days  by  dedicating  the  remainder  of  her  existence  to 
God,  renouncing  the  pomp  and  vanities  of  the  world  as  so 
much  dross." 

"  Did  she  inform  you  what  convent  she  should  enter  ?  " 
I  asked. 

11  She  did  not ;  and  gave  as  a  reason  that  she  knew  I 
would  seek  for  her  and  her  aunt,  but  that  both  of  them 
were  so  resolved  that  their  future  happiness  depended 
upon  a  convent  life,  that  they  should  not  intimate  where 
they  were,  or  in  what  country  they  had  sought  seclusion. 
Any  attempts  to  discover  them  would  be  fruitless,  and 
only  lead  to  expense  and  vexation." 

For  a  moment  we  thought  of  the  communication,  each 
of  us  debating  the  points  of  the  story,  and  the  probabilities 
of  discovering  whether  the  ladies  were  in  a  French,  Ger 
man,  or  Italian  convent. 

"Did  the  ladies  possess  much  money?"  I  asked. 

"My  sister  had  some  ready  money  at  her  banker's,  but 
most  of  her  property  is  in  Boston,  and  I  have  so  managed 
it  by  attachments,  that  no  one  can  get  possession  of  it 
without  a  lawsuit,  which  is  just  what  I  want;  for  I  desire 
to  see  the  men  who  have  been  instrumental  in  producing 
so  much  unhappiness  in  my  family." 

"My  opinion  is,  that  the  ladies  are  in  one  of  the  Paris 
ian  convents,"  I  remarked,  for  I  noticed  that  all  looked  to 
me  for  an  opinion. 

"If  such  is  the  case, how  can  we  discover  their  retreat, 
and  how  can  I  recover  my  daughter  ?  "  Mr.  Goldthwaite 
asked,  in  an  anxious  tone. 

"That  we  are  not  prepared  to  answer  just  at  present," 
was  the  reply.  "Time,  and  a  few  weeks'  residence  in 
Pans,  will  enable  us  to  mature  some  plan  that  shall  lead 
to  the  rescue  of  your  child." 

"  You  think,  then,  that  there  is  a  chance  to  hope  for  the 
best  ?  "  and  I  saw  the  father  brush  a  tear  from  his  eye  as 
he  asked  the  question. 

"  To  be  sure  there  is.  We  have  been  in  worse  cases,  and 
more  difficult  ones,  and  never  yet  failed.  Be  prudent,  and 
4 


50 


THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 


make  no  more  confidants,  and  we  will  act  as  your  friends, 
and  second  all  your  efforts." 

"I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  a  thousand  times  for  your 
kindness,  and  trust  that  I  shall  live  to  repay  it.  Only  bring 
the  dead  to  life,  and  you  will  indeed  be  benefactors  to  the 
poor  and  oppressed.  As  far  as  expenses  are  concerned,  I 
will  bear  all  that  you  incur.  I  am  rich,  and  able  to  do  so 
without  being  in  the  least  embarrassed." 

"Thank  you,"  we  said;  "but  while  we  don't  claim  to 
be  rich,  we  assure  you  that  we  are  not  poor,  and  can 
afford  our  own  expenses.  If  we  worked  for  pay,  one  half 
the  pleasure  of  an  adventure  would  be  lost  to  us.  Let  us 
pursue  the  course  that  seems  most  agreeable  to  us,  and 
hereafter  do  not  mention  rewards  or  money." 

"  There  is  one  reward  you  wouldn't  object  to,"  whis 
pered  Hez,  who  had  eyes  like  a  cat,  and  could  see  as  far 
as  most  people. 

He  spoke  so  low  that  no  one  but  myself  heard  him. 

"  What  kind  of  a  reward  do  you  mean  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  The  reward  of  a  pretty  girl's  hand ; "  and  then  the 
wretched  fellow  laughed  in  the  most  ridiculous  manner,  as 
though  he  had  said  something  witty. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  I  asked,  with  an  expression  of 
surprise. 

"  O,  I  can  see  a  hole  through  a  ladder,  I  can,  and  ef  you 
ain't  makin'  up  yer  mouth  fer  that  gal,  then  no  one  is ;  that's 
all.  Say,  ef  we  find  her  sister,  and  she  is  as  handsome  as 
this  one,  I  shouldn't  mind  steppin'  up  to  her,  I  shouldn't; 
and  ef  she  should  fancy  me,  what's  to  prevent  us  from 
hitchin',  hey?" 

"Wait  until  we  find  her,  Hez,  before  we  lay  out  many 
plans  for  the  future,"  I  said. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  response,  "  and  then  let  that  good-lookin* 
Fred  jist  cut  me  out  in  less  than  no  time.  No,  ye  don't. 
We  must  have  a  bargain,  and  a  fair  one  at  that,  ef  yer  want 
me  to  work." 

"  Selfish  as  ever,"  I  replied.  "  O,  Hez,  why  will  you  let 
a  woman  so  warp  your  natural  good  judgment?" 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  51 

"  'Cos,"  was  the  confidential  reply,  "  I  likes  a  pretty  face 
jist  as  well  as  you  does ;  but  you  know  that  there  ain't  many 
pretty  faces  as  likes  me ;  so  I  must  look  out  for  myself,  and 
take  all  the  advantages  that  I  can  "  —  a  fact  that  I  could 
not  help  admitting;  but  before  we  could  further  discuss 
the  matter,  the  announcement  was  made  that  dinner  waa 
ready,  and  at  Mr.  Goldthwaite's  request,  I  waited  upon 
Josie  to  the  table,  while  Fred  and  her  father  were  seated 
near  each  other,  and  talked  in  low  and  earnest  tones  on 
the  topic  that  was  nearest  their  hearts.  But  if  I  was 
proud  of  my  position  as  Miss  Josie's  partner  at  the  table, 
I  received  punishment  as  I  went  along;  for  the  young 
lady  was  just  as  joyous  as  she  would  have  been  on  the 
land,  manifesting  no  sign  of  sickness,  and  partaking  of  the 
viands  on  the  well-laden  table  with  so  hearty  a  relish 
that  she  caused  several  delicate-stomached  females,  ladies 
who  were  destined  for  sickness,  yet  held  off  as  long  as 
possible  in  hope  that  they  could  conquer  the  malady,  to 
look  at  her  knife-and-fork  exercises  with  a  certain  amount 
of  horror  that  was  amusing  to  an  old  salt  like  myself. 

"Well,"  Miss  Josie  whispered,  as  the  stewards  were 
bringing  on  the  dessert,  "  you  have  concluded  to  help  my 
father  in  his  undertaking.  I  am  so  glad  !  for  I  don't  know 
how  he  could  succeed  alone.  He  is  getting  old,  and  does 
not  possess  the  resolution  of  former  years." 

"  Yes,  we  have  promised  our  aid.  There  is  one  great 
advantage  in  it  —  I  shall  be  enabled  to  see  more  of  you,  by 
this  arrangement." 

"  O,  indeed  !  That  is  what  you  are  congratulating  your 
self  upon  —  is  it  ?  Well,  I  admire  your  audacity  and  assur 
ance,  I  must  say." 

"And  I  hope  that  yoi  will  admire  me,  in  the  course  of 
lime,  as  much  as  you  do  my  audacity,"  I  replied,  in  a  cool, 
self-satisfied  tone. 

"I  hope  you  have  a  good  opinion  of  yourself,"  Miss 
Josie  cried.  "I  like  modest  men  —  some  such  man  as 
your  friend,  Mr.  Fred,  who  is  splendid,  I  think.  He  is 
good-looking,  too,  which  is  more  than — " 


62  THE    GOLD    HtraTEHS    IN   EUROPE,   OB 

She  hesitated  as  though  to  choose  a  word. 

"Than  you  can  say  for  myself.  Is  that  what  you 
mean?" 

She  smiled  and  nodded,  and  then  shrugged  her  whito 
shoulders. 

"How  good  you  are  for  guessing!  I  know  you  are  a 
Yankee;"  and  she  looked  me  in  the  face,  and  laughed. 

"I  am  the  most  unfortunate  man  in  the  world,"  I  said, 
seeing  that  she  was  acting  a  part,  and  determined  to 
humor  her  to  the  utmost.  "  Just  as  I  was-  flattering  my 
self  that  you  and  I  would  be  good  friends,  I  find  that  we 
are  likely  to  be  enemies." 

"  No,  not  enemies,"  she  cried,  in  a  hasty  manner ;  and  I 
saw  a  look  of  disappointment  pass  over  her  sweet  face. 
"  I  can  never  be  the  enemy  of  a  brave  man,  one  willing  to 
risk  his  life  for  a  child's." 

"  I  know  it,"  I  cried,  with  a  low  bow  and  a  smile  of 
gladness.  "I  was  well  aware  that  Miss  Goldthwaite  was 
too  noble  to  scorn  so  humble  an  individual  as  myself." 

"  I  do  believe  that  you  are  laughing  at  me,"  she  said 
with  a  frown,  and  a  pout  of  her  pretty  lips. 

"Heaven  forbid,"  I  remarked.  "I  have  too  much 
respect  for  you  for  that.  In  a  few  days  we  must  separate; 
so  let  us  have  peace  until  then." 

«  Separate  ?  "  she  repeated.     "  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  we  leave  you  at  Queenstown,  and  take  a  run 
through  Ireland.  The  Fenians  are  at  work  in  the  Emerald 
Island,  and  we  are  anxious  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  them." 

I  saw  her  face  change  at  once,  as  though  she  had  expe 
rienced  her  first  disappointment. 

"O,  dear!  I  supposed  that  you  were  going  direct  to 
Paris  with  us." 

"  No ;  we  shall  join  you  there  in  the  course  of  a  few 
weeks,  and  then  commence  our  serious  work." 

"  You  don't  intend  to  connect  yourself  with  those  cor- 
rid  Fenians,  do  you?"  the  lady  asked. 

"  No ;  but  we  want  to  see  what  they  are  doing,  and 
Ireland  at  the  same  time." 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  53 

She  did  not  say  that  she  was  sorry;  but  her  face 
expressed  what  her  lips  failed  to  utter :  so  the  rest  of  our 
stay  at  the  table  was  passed  in  silence,  and  when  we  arose, 
we  went  on  deck,  and  there  I  was  joined  by  my  son  and 
his  nurse  ;  but  there  was  little  occasion  for  the  services  of 
the  latter,  as  all  the  ladies  united  in  taking  charge  of  him, 
and  in  petting  him  and  Rover  to  their  hearts'  content. 

Just  as  the  gentlemen  had  walked  forward  to  smoke 
their  cigars  away  from  the  ladies,  the  earl  came  to  us,  and 
said  that  his  wife  was  quite  anxious  to  see  Fred  and  my- 
gelf,  and  to  thank  us  in  person  for  what  we  had  done ;  and 
although  we  wanted  no  thanks,  still  his  lordship  was  im 
portunate,  and  we  followed  him  to  the  lower  cabin,  where 
we  found  little  Alice  playing  with  her  doll,  making  believe 
that  it  had  tumbled  overboard,  and  that  she  had  jumped 
after  it;  and  as  the  child's  efforts  to  swim  were  rather 
comical,  we  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  picture. 

The  countess  arose  to  receive  us,  and  welcomed  us  by 
extending  her  hand,  which  I  may  as  well  state  was  small, 
white,  and  delicate,  but  entirely  destitute  of  rings,  afford 
ing  a  strong  contrast  to  some  of  the  lady  passengers 
whose  fingers  were  covered  with  diamonds,  as  though  the 
latter  added  to  their  importance  and  position. 

"I  wish  that  I  had  words  to  thank  you,  gentlemen,  for 
what  you  have  done.  You  can  imagine  my  gratitude,  and 
I  trust  will  feel  it." 

We  said  that  we  did  not  want  any  thanks  for  what  we 
had  done,  and  were  so  earnest  in  our  statements,  that  the 
lady  made  us  be  seated,  and  then  entered  into  an  animated 
conversation  respecting  our  own  country,  Australia,  and 
England.  She  told  us  how  she  had  travelled  through  the 
United  States  in  company  with  her  husband,  and  smiled 
in  a  good-natured  manner  at  the  eagerness  with  which  our 
republicans  had  striven  to  get  them  to  accept  of  invita 
tions  to  dinners  and  parties,  and  confessed  that  she  had 
thought  the  Americans  were  too  democratic  to  care  foi 
rank  or  titles. 

I  took  good  care  to  convince  her  that  while  some  of 


54  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OB 

my  countrymen  were  just  snobbish  enough  to  toady  to 
foreigners  of  rank,  in  imitation  of  Englishmen,  there  were 
others  who  would  rather  see  a  good  man  than  a  great  one. 
In  fact,  I  did  the  best  I  could  with  a  bad  case ;  but  I  don't 
think  that  the  earl  or  his  countess  were  thoroughly  con 
vinced  by  what  they  heard ;  yet  they  had  Fred's  and  my 
example  to  back  our  assertion ;  for  although  we  were  far 
from  despising  rank,  yet  we  would  not  for  a  moment  let 
the  twc  representatives  of  British  aristocracy  suppose  that 
we  perilled  our  lives  for  the  purpose  of  saving  their  child 
simply  because  the  little  girl  was  above  the  common  stock, 
through  the  fortune  of  birth. 

"  I  see  that  you,  gentlemen,  are  sturdy  democrats,"  the 
countess  said,  with  a  pleasant  smile,  after  we  had  ex 
plained  to  her  our  positions ;  "  but,  democrats  as  you  are, 
you  will  not  refuse  to  visit  Buckland  Hall  while  you  are  in 
England?" 

"  Isn't  that  in  Lancaster  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Yes." 

"  Then  it  must  be  near  Sir  William  Byefield's  estate," 
I  continued. 

"My  estate  adjoins  Sir  William's,"  the  earl  replied. 

"  Are  you  intimate  with  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  He  is  one  of  my  best  friends,"  was  the  reply,  u  although 
for  the  past  few  years  I  have  seen  but  little  of  him,  for  we 
have  been  on  the  wing,  and  so  has  he.  The  last  I  heard 
of  him  he  was  in  Australia  in  pursuit  of  a  daughter ;  and 
iust  as  he  found  her,  some  bold  countryman  of  yours 
gained  hc.r  affections,  and  married  her.  It  was  an  awful 
disappointment  to  Sir  William,  and  yet  I  hear  that  he 
soon  became  reconciled  to  the  match,  and  even  had  his 
son-in-law  at  his  house.  It  is  said  that  the  American  was 
a  bold,  dashing  fellow,  just  the  sort  of  man  to  captivate  a 
young  girl,  for  he  had  wealth,  and  all  the  independence 
of  a  true-hearted  Yankee." 

I  could  not  help  blushing  at  these  words;  and  the  lady, 
with  true  womanly  perception,  saw  that  something  was 
wrong, 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  55 

"  Perhaps  Mr.  Jack  is  acquainted  with  the  person  you 
are  sueaking  of,"  she  said. 

"Is  such  the  case?"  asked  the  earl. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be  the  son-in-law  of  Sir  "William 
Byefield,"  I  said,  in  a  low  tone,  and  a  thought  of  the  lost 
wife,  whose  remains  were  reposing  in  Forest  Hills  Ceme 
tery,  far  away  from  her  illustrious  ancestors. 

"Is  it  possible  that  you  are  the  gentleman  whose  deeds 
in  Australia  are  so  well  known  ?  "  cried  the  earl.  "  Now 
I  am  no  longer  astonished  at  what  you  have  this  day  done ; 
and  I  am  sure  that  we  shall  be  honored  with  your  presence 
at  Buckland  Hall,  for,  of  course,  you  will  spend  some  time 
with  Sir  William." 

"  Several  days,  and  perhaps  a  few  weeks.  I  shall  leave 
my  child  and  nurse  with  his  grandparents,  while  I  travel 
over  the  continent." 

"You  will  go  through  with  us  direct  to  Lancaster?" 
asked  the  lady. 

"No;  we  land  at  Queenstown,  and  take  a  look  at  Ire 
land  before  we  visit  England." 

"  Then  let  us  take  charge  of  your  son,  and  conduct  him 
to  his  grandparents.  He  will  be  an  excellent  companion 
for  Alice ;  she  will  amuse  him." 

"  I  fear  that  the  trouble  will  be  too  much." 

The  earl  and  the  countess  protested  that  they,  would  be 
delighted  to  take  charge  of  the  boy;  so  I  consented, 
knowing  that  my  movements  while  in  Ireland  would  be 
rapid  and  uncertain. 

"  I  would  not  advise  you  to  land  in  Ireland  at  the  pres 
ent  time,"  his  lordship  said,  after  Fred  had  asked  a  few 
questions  respecting  Dublin  and  its  hotels.  "I  fear  that 
it  is  in  too  disturbed  a  state  for  safe  and  comfortable  trav- 
eilh.g.  The  Fenians  are  active  at  the  present  time,  and 
giving  government  much  trouble." 

"  We  shall  not  be  likely  to  see  much  of  them,"  I  re 
marked,  "  for  we  do  not  propose  to  meddle  with  them." 

"I  am  glad  of  that;  and  if  I  can  be  of  any  assistance  to 
you  while  in  Ireland,  let  me  know." 


56         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

We  thanked  him,  and  told  him  that  we  only  proposed 
*>o  look  at  the  country,  and  mingle  but  little  with  tho 
people  for  the  want  of  time.  We  knew  that  if  we  par 
took  of  Irish  hospitality  we  should  not  be  able  to  act  as 
free  agents;  so  we  would"  not  accept  of  letters  of  intro 
duction  to  the  earl's  friends,  although  we  little  thought 
how  soon  we  should  have  to  ask  his  assistance  in  releasing 
us  from  trouble. 

We  passed  a  pleasant  hour  in  company  with  the  earl 
and  his  wife,  and  then  I  sent  for  my  son,  and  he  and  little 
Alice  soon  struck  up  friendly  relations,  and  went  to  play 
ing  with  all  the  zeal  of  childhood. 

Fred  and  I  then  went  on  deck,  and  smoked  our  cigars 
in  company  with  his  lordship,  for  the  earl  seemed  to  have 
taken  such  a  fancy  to  us  that  he  rather  sought  our  com 
pany  in  preference  to  any  on  board,  and,  as  he  assumed 
no  airs  of  superiority,  we  were  rather  glad  to  have  him  as 
a  companion.  I  introduced  him  to  Mr.  and  Miss  Gold- 
thwaite ;  and  for  the  remainder  of  the  passage,  he  and  his 
wife  paid  them  marked  attention,  to  the  great  envy  of  all 
the  other  passengers,  male  and  female,  who  wanted  to  be 
on  terms  of  equality  with  a  live  lord  and  a  real  countess, 
yet  did  not  know  how  to  succeed  in  accomplishing  such  a 
desirable  result. 

But  time  passed  rapidly.  We  had  a  pleasant  passage, 
and  but  few  of  those  on  board  were  sick.  Miss  Josie 
escaped  the  usual  infliction ;  and  she  and  I  flirted,  quar 
relled,  became  reconciled,  read  poetry  together,  talked 
nonsense,  and  acted  as  young  people  generally  do  when 
each  is  desirous  of  creating  a  favorable  impression,  and 
yet  is  uncertain  whether  to  advance  or  recede,  whether  to 
become  serious  or  laugh  at  all  that  had  passed.  I  must 
confess  that  I  was  rather  pleased  with  Miss  Josie.  I  liked 
ner  better  than  any  one  I  had  ever  seen  on  so  short  an 
acquaintance,  and  I  hoped  that  she  was  a  little  partial  to 
me;  but  how  could  I  tell  from  such  a  laughing,  fun-loving 
girl  ?  Ah  me,  Miss  Josie,  you  were  a  natural  born  coquette, 
and  loved  dearly  to  play  with  men's  hearts:  but  who 


THE    DEAD    ALITE.  57 

could  blame  you  for  wielding  so  pleasant  a  power? 
Not  I. 

"And  you  will  soon  join  us  in  Pans?"  asked  Miss 
Josie,  as  I  held  her  hand  for  a  moment  before  I  entered 
the  boat  that  was  to  land  us  at  Queenstown.  Her  face 
was  a  little  troubled,  and  her  dark  eyes  looked  as  though 
the  wind  had  affected  them,  or  else  the  smoke  had  weak 
ened  them. 

"  In  a  few  weeks,  at  the  farthest,"  was  my  answer. 

"And  you  will  sometimes  think  of — of — my  father?" 
she  asked,  in  a  tremulous  tone. 

"Yes,  and  his  daughter  also;"  and  I  pressed  the  little 
hand  that  I  held;  but  perhaps  she  did  not  think  that  I 
was  serious  enough,  for  she  snatched  her  hand  from  mine, 
and  turned  from  me  as  though  she  would  enter  the  cabin. 

"  Josie,"  I  said ;  and  she  came  towards  me  again,  but 
her  veil  was  now  over  her  face,  and  I  could  not  see  her 
eyes. 

I  took  her  hand,  and  she  did  not  resist  me. 

"  God  bless  you,  Josie ! "  I  said,  in  all  seriousness. 

"Does  that  come  from  your  heart?"  she  asked,  in  a 
low  tone. 

"Yes,  from  my  heart,  Josie." 

"  Then  repeat  it.     O,  do  repeat  it ! " 

"God  bless  you,  Josie,  with  all  my  heart,  and  all  my 
soul,  until  we  meet  again ! " 

"  And  by  that  time  I  may  have  half  a  dozen  Frenchmen 
for  lovers,"  the  little  jade  cried,  with  a  laugh,  and  broke 
away  from  me  as  though  she  had  accomplished  one  great 
object,  and  that  was,  to  make  me  sentimental. 

"  Sold  again,"  whispered  Hez,  who  had  seen  all  that  had 
passed.  ' 

I  suppressed  an  oath,  took  a  kind  farewell  of  the  eail 
and  his  countess,  kissed  my  son  and  little  Alice,  shook 
hands  with  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  and  the  next  moment  we 
were  going  towards  the  town,  while  the  passengers  were 
cheering  us,  and  Rover  was  barking  as  though  glad  once 
more  to  be  near  land. 


58  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

Once  I  turned  my  head,  and  saw  Miss  Josie  waving  her 
handkerchief;  but  I  took  no  notice  of  her  salute,  for  I  was 
mad,  and  almost  hated  the  girl  for  the  manner  in  which 
she  had  treated  me. 

As  we  landed  on  the  soil  of  Ireland,  a  crowd  of  people 
met  us  and  eyed  us  from  head  to  foot,  and  we  repaid  their 
glances  with  interest.  They  were  a  rough,  uncropped  set, 
barefooted,  bareheaded,  and  with  clothes  of  many  colors, 
for  they  were  patched  up  and  down,  fore  and  aft;  and 
where  patches  were  not  seen,  rags  fluttered  in  the  wind. 

Murden  was  so  affected  at  the  idea  of  landing  on  Eng 
lish  soil  after  an  absence  of  so  many  years,  that  he  stooped 
down,  filled  his  hands  with  earth,  and  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

"Whoop!"  yelled  the  crowd,  in  an  agony  of  excite 
ment,  when  they  saw  the  action  of  Murden.  "  The  'Mer- 
ican  hed  sinters  is  com  to  relave  us  from  bondage,  and 
lade  us  to  victory  or  death!" 

A  yell,  a  cheer,  and  then  the  vagabonds  charged  upon  us. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  STRONG  ESCORT.  —  SUSPECTED  OF  BEING  FENIANS. — 

THE  ATTEMPTED  RESCUE. THE  FLIGHT  AFTER  THE 

FIGHT. 

WE  looked  at  the  crowd  of  ragged,  dirty  fellows  who 
charged  towards  us  with  astonishment.  What  did  they 
mean?  Were  they  determined  to  rob  us  of  our  valises 
which  we  carried  in  our  hands,  and  contained  but  a  change 
of  clothing?  No,  they  did  not  mean  to  rob  us,  it  was  evi 
dent,  for  when  they  were  within  six  feet  of  us,  the  fellowa 
tumbled  down  on  their  knees,  and  held  out  their  hands 
towards  us,  some  of  them  crying,  — 

"  Whoop !  Here's  the  hed  sinters  from  'Meriky.  O, 
how  we  has  longed  and  waited  for  ye  I " 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  59 

"What  in  the  devil  do  they  mean?"  cried  Murden,  who 
Was  cleaning  his  hands  of  the  soil  which  he  had  scraped 
up  and  kissed,  on  first  landing. 

We  were  unable  to  answer  the  interrogation  to  his  satis 
faction,  for  the  thought  had  not  entered  our  heads  that  the 
Irishmen  mistook  us  for  American  head  centres  or  emissa 
ries,  anxious  to  peril  our  lives  for  the  sake  of  giving  free 
dom  to  Ireland. 

"I'm  the  boy  to  be  trusted,  if  yer  honors  has  any  share 
of  silver  or  goold,"  one  of  the  ragamuffins  cried.  "Jist 
give  me  a  show  of  goold,  and  I'll  fight  till  Ireland  is  cov 
ered  with  blood.  Whoop !  we'll  be  free,  and  the  harp  shall 
play  over  the  lion." 

"We  have  no  gold  or  silver  for  you,"  cried  Murden, 
"  and  we  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  blood  and  free 
dom  for  Ireland." 

"  Thin  what  in  the  devil  is  the  use  of  yer  comin'  here 
with  empty  pockets  ? "  asked  one  of  the  wildest  looking 
of  the  gang.  "We  want  money,  for  it's  starvin'  we  is; 
and  a  man  can't  fight  on  an  empty  belly.  Give  us  money, 
and  put  arms  in  our  hands,  and  thin  we'll  show  you  what 
we  can  do  for  ourselves." 

Just  at  this  moment  some  custom-house  officials  ap 
proached  us,  and  the  instant  they  were  seen,  the  ragged 
fellows  scattered  in  all  directions,  and  left  us  alone. 

The   custom-house   officers   did   not  make  a  thorough 

& 

examination  of  our  valises,  for  the  reason  that  Murden 
summoned  all  of  his  English  impudence,  and  soon  made 
himself  known. 

"  We  want  a  hotel  and  something  to  eat,"  the  Austra 
lian  said.  "Can  we  find  what  we  desire  herej  or  must  we 
starve  until  we  reach  Dublin  ?  " 

"  The  Irish  Harp  is  open,  and  good  cheer  is  found  there. 
Any  of  the  boys  will  show  you  the  way,  and  carry  your 
luggage.  It  is  a  Fenian  resort,  but  you  won't  care  for 
that,  I  suppose,"  one  of  the  custom-house  officials  replied, 
m  a  careless  tone ;  but  at  the  same  time  he  gave  us  a  look 
that  showed  sonic  little  suspicion  on  his  part. 


60  THE    GOLD   HCTNTERS   IN   EUROPE,  OB 

"Let  me  carry  one  of  your  valises,"  cried  the  smallest 
of  the  officers ;  and,  in  spite  of  our  protestations  to  tho 
contrary,  the  firm,  determined  little  fellow  seized  Mur- 
den's  carpet-bag  and  my  own  private  property,  while  an 
other  man,  in  a  sort  of  uniform,  took  possession  of  Fred's 
valise,  and  a  third  would  have  relieved  Hopeful,  but  that 
genius  resisted  most  manfully. 

"  No,  you  don't,"  the  son  of  New  Hampshire  said,  in  a 
most  determined  tone.  "  I've  heard  tell  of  yew  fellers 
and  yer  tricks,  and  I  guess  I'll  jist  hold  on  to  this  plunder 
of  mine,  ef  yer  has  no  objections." 

"I  think  you  are  Americans,"  one  of  the  officers  said, 
with  a  smile  that  did  not  look  just  right,  it  was  so  full  of 
malice.  "  There  can  be  no  doubt  on  that  point." 

"  Of  course  there  can't  be,"  Hez  replied.  "  Do  yer  think 
we  is  regular  Britishers  like  yerselves?  No,  sir;  we  is 
true-hearted  Americans ;  and  we  can  make  the  lion  of  yer 
country  roar  when  we  lets  loose  our  eagle  btird." 

We  would  have  stopped  IIcz  in  his  tirade,  but  found  it 
impossible  to  do  so,  for  fear  of  giving  him  offence,  which 
he  was  likely  to  take  on  slight  grounds  if  opposed. 

The  Englishmen  listened  in  profound  silence  while  Hez 
was  speaking,  but  they  glanced  at  each  other  in  a  most 
expressive  manner;  and  one  of  them,  the  smallest  fellow, 
even  had  the  impudence  to  wink  at  his  companions. 

"I  think,  gentlemen,"  said  the  little  fellow,  in  a  firm  and 
decided  tone,  "  that  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  show 
you  to  the  inn  ourselves." 

"  O,  we  couldn't  think  of  giving  you  so  much  trouble,'* 
Fred  said,  and  then  whispered  in  my  ear,  w  These  fellows 
mean  more  than  appears  on  the  surface.  All  this  honor 
is  not  intended  for  mere  compliment." 

I  thought  as  much,  and,  while  Fred  was  speaking, 
glanced  at  the  rabble  that  had  first  met  us  on  landing. 
They  were  standing  off  at  a  distance,  watching  our  move 
ments  with  much  interest,  apparently,  and  whispering 
among  themselves.  The  dozen  or  twenty  had  increased 
to  a  huridied,  and  in  the  hands  of  some  of  them  I  saw 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  61 

regular  Irish  shillulahs;  and  once  in  a  wlile  the  sticks 
were  whirled  over  uncombed  heads,  and  a  shrill  whoop 
was  uttered,  that  expressed  suppressed  rage  or  great  joy 

I  saw  the  little  custom-house  officer  make  a  sign,  and 
half  a  dozen  coast-guard  men  came  towards  us  from  the 
landing.  They  did  not  appear  to  be  in  a  hurry,  or  to  caro 
for  the  remarks  which  were  thrown  at  them  by  the  Irish 
lads  who  were  clustered  together.  They  looked  like  men 
who  could  be  resolute  if  occasion  required  it,  and  never 
recede  an  inch  in  the  face  of  a  foe. 

"  These  gentlemen  will  go  to  the  Harp  for  the  present," 
said  the  small  custom-house  officer.  "  Take  their  luggage, 
and  look  to  it  sharp.  Now,  then,  we  will  show  you  the 
way,  gentlemen." 

"We  protested  that  we  did  not  need  an  escort,  but  the 
officials  were  firm;  so  we  marched  along  in  silence,  Hez 
with  his  head  thrown  back  in  perfect  contempt  for  Great 
Britain  and  her  officials. 

"You  have  seen  something  of  military  life  —  haven't 
you  ? "  asked  one  of  the  officials,  as  we  moved  along,  speak 
ing  to  Hez. 

"I  guess  I  have,"  was  the  ready  reply.  "During  the 
late  war,  I  jest  commanded  the  best  company  of  home 
guards  ever  raised  in  Hillsborough  County,  New  Hamp 
shire.  Lord  bless  you,  they  could  eat  more  gingerbread 
and  drink  more  cider  than  any  hundred  men  in  the  county. 
My  wife  used  to  be  real  proud  of  me  when  she  seed  me 
at  the  head  of  my  men.  She  said  I  never  looked  so  well, 
even  if  I  was  a  little  green  —  " 

"Ah,  then  you  had  green  uniforms  —  did  you?"  asked 
the  little  man,  in  an  eager  tone. 

"  Wall,"  said  Hez,  after  a  moment's  reflection,  "  I 
don't  know  but  some  would  call  them  green,  but  I  never 
harped  —  " 

"Green  uniforms  and  a  harr  '  said  the  little  man;  and 
he  looked  satisfied,  as  he  glanced  at  his  companions.  "I 
think  we  are  on  the  right  track,  gentlemen.  Be  careful  and 
see  that  our  friends  do  not  escape  our  polite  attentions-" 


62  THE    G$LD    HUNTERS   IN  EUEOPE,   OR 

The  coast-guard  men  seemed  to  vie  with  each  other  in 
their  vigilance,  for  they  completely  enclosed  us  and  moved 
along,  regardless  of  the  rabble  that  followed  at  a  little 
distance. 

"What  in  the  devil  does  all  this  mean?"  demanded 
Fred,  who  began  to  get  a  little  angry  at  such  uncalled-for 
demonstrations.  "  We  want  no  such  notice  as  this." 

"  Of  course  not ;  but  perhaps  it  is  a  custom  of  the  coun 
try  to  always  welcome  Americans  in  this  manner." 

One  of  the  custom-house  officers  overheard  me,  and 
replied,  with  a  quiet  grin,  — 

"Yes,  sir,  we  allers  welcome  distinguished  American 
visitors  in  this  manner,  and  pay  much  honor  to  returned 
Australians  when  they  see  fit  to  visit  us." 

He  pointed  to  Murden,  who  was  just  at  that  moment 
making  comparisons  between  the  mountains  of  Australia 
and  Ireland — a  remark  that  seemed  to  attract  much  atten 
tion  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  close  to  him. 

The  little  man  drew  out  a  paper  and  looked  at  it,  and 
then  scanned  our  persons  with  a  critical  eye. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  with  an  exultant  smile,  "we  are  all 
right.  It  is  just  as  they  appear.  The  description  is 
perfect." 

Just  at  this  moment,  one  of  the  gossoons  who  was  fol 
lowing  us  threw  a  stone  that  struck  the  little  man  —  whose 
name  was  Parish  —  full  on  the  back,  and  sent  him  to  the 
ground  as  quick  as  though  knocked  over  by  a  Minie  ball. 

But  he  was  on  his  feet  in  aj?  instant,  a  little  wild,  per 
haps,  but  turned  on  the  foe  with  a  look  that  was  full  of 
danger  to  his  assailants. 

"  Who  did  that  ?  "  he  asked ;  and  as  he  spoke,  a  pair  of 
pistols  were  produced  from  under  his  jacket,  and  pointed 
fit  our  heads,  and  then  at  the  heads  of  the  parties  who 
were  following  us. 

"  I  would  recommend  you,"  said  Fred,  in  a  gentle  tone, 
"not  to  point  your  weapons  at  us,  unless  you  mean  mur 
der.  If  you  do,  bang  away,  and  so  end  our  existence 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  63 

at  once;  bat  don't  make  believe  shoot,  unless  you  are  in 
earnest." 

"  I  will  shoot  the  dog  who  threw  that  stone,"  Mr.  Parish 
cried,  in  no  wise  appeased.  "Can  anyone  tell  me  who 
did  it?" 

*  One  :f  the  gossoons,"  a  companion  replied.  "  I  doii't 
know  whether  it  was  Tim  O'Brien  or  Mike  Luskin." 

The  little  man  made  a  rush  for  the  gossoons;  but  the 
latter,  somewhat  astonished  at  the  audacity  of  the  man 
who  threw  the  stone,  commenced  retreating  in  quick  order, 
and  for  a  few  rods  were  pursued  by  the  custom-house  offi 
cial,  while  the  rest  of  his  companions  did  not  move,  for 
fear  we  should  move  also. 

Of  course  the  gossoons  were  too  quick  for  the  custom 
house  officer.  They  scattered  in  every  direction,  and  when 
at  a  safe  distance,  uttered  the  most  outrageous  yells  of 
defiance  and  cheers  of  ridicule ;  and  some  of  them,  more 
insolent  than  others,  called  for  whoops  of  welcome  for  the 
"'Merican  hed  sinters"  who  had  come  to  liberate  Ireland. 

"Jack,"  said  Fred,  lighting  a  cigar  in  a  cool  and  delib 
erate  manner,  "  do  you  know  what  those  vagabonds  take 
us  for?" 

"Yes;  targets  for  stones.  But,  luckily,  Englishmen  are 
getting  the  largest  share,  as  usual,  and  they  are  quite  wel 
come  to  all  they  receive." 

Fred  allowed  a  grim  smile  to  pass  over  his  face,  as  he 
replied,  — 

"  The  fools  th_nk  we  are  American  head  centres,  and 
therefore  Fenians  of  the  first  respectability;  and  I  tell 
you  it  is  no  trifling  matter  to  be  thus  suspected.  We  have 
got  to  prove  our  respectability." 

Murden  turned  on  the  coast-guard  like  a  lion  at  bay,  for 
he  had  overheard  Fred's  remarks. 

"Damnation!  do  I  look  like  a  Fenian?  "he  roared,  in 
a  voice  that  would  have  frightened  a  bushranger  into  an 
immediate  surrender.  "Do  you  know  me?  I'm  a  cabi 
net  officer  of  the  province  of  Victoria,  Australia,  and 


64  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OR 

will  complain  to  the  crown  of  the  outrage.  You  see  if 
I  don't."" 

By  the  time  Murden  had  thus  freed  his  mind,  which  had 
no  effect  on  the  listeners,  the  little  man  had  returned  to 
his  command. 

"Forward,"  he  cried,  "or  we'll  have  a  rescue  before  we 
mich  the  jail.  Run,  one  of  you,  to  the  barracks,  and  ask 
the  commanding  officer  to  send  us  a  file  of  soldiers  aa 
quick  as  possible.  We  have  captured  four  prizes,  and 
mnst  not  let  them  escape.  Two  hundred  pounds  for  each 
head  centre.  Remember  it,  boys,  and  hold  on  to  them." 

"  We  will,"  was  the  cry ;  but  at  this  instant  the  Irish 
men  who  had  followed  us,  and  dispersed  half  a  dozen  times, 
now  returned  in  greater  numbers  than  ever,  in  front,  in 
rear,  and  on  all  sides;  and,  confound  them,  they  were 
armed  with  old  muskets,  pistols  and  stones,  clubs  and 
scythes. 

Our  escort  began  to  manifest  symptoms  of  alarm,  for 
they  were  inferior  in  numbers  and  in  point  of  activity ; 
and  I  saw  some  anxious  glances  towards  the  quarter  from 
whence  the  troops  were  expected. 

"  Speak  to  them,  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Parish,  "  and  tell 
them  that  a  rescue  is  useless,  and  will  only  cost  them  their 
lives  and  your  lives.  We  shall  fight  to  the  last." 

"  Speak  to  them  yourself,  then,"  Fred  remarked.  "  We 
are  not  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  the  rabble  of  Queens- 
town." 

The  little  man  uttered  a  curse,  and  once  more  glanced 
in  tlie  direction  of  the  quarter  where  the  soldiers  were 
stationed.  The  red-coats  did  not  make  their  appearance, 
and  the  gossoons  seemed  to  be  aware  that  they  were  ex 
pected,  and  that  the  custom-house  officers  and  coast-guard 
men  were  disappointed  in  not  having  such  an  accession  to 
their  strength  as  would  put  all  thoughts  of  rescue  out  of 
the  question. 

"Down  with  the  palers,  boys!"  was  the  cry  from  the 
rabble,  who  hemmed  us  in  on  all  sides,  and  whose  numbers 
increased  every  moment. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  65 

"  Damn  them,"  our  polite  friend  muttered,  "  they  mean 
mischief,  if  men  ever  did.  If  we  were  better  armed,  some 
of  them  should  lose  the  number  of  their  mess." 

"  Gentlemen,"  I  said,  "  let  us  escape  from  your  pleasant 
company,  and  report  ourselves  at  the  hotel  half  an  hour 
hence.  You  can  fight  it  out  on  this  line  all  day,  if  you 
please,  but  I  am  sure  you  can  spare  us  from  the  couilict 
that  is  about  to  take  place." 

"  You  remain  with  us,"  was  the  reply  of  the  little  man. 
w  We  have  captured  the  prizes,  and  now  we  shall  hold  on 
to  them." 

"  When  we  have  protested  that  we  are  not  Fenians  ?  " 
Fred  asked. 

"Your  protests  are  not  believed,"  was  the  unsatisfactory 
rfeply ;  and  just  at  this  moment  I  heard  a  whizzing  in  the 
air,  and  on  looking  up  I  saw  a  shower  of  stones  coming 
towards  us,  propelled  by  no  gentle  arms. 

The  Fenians  were  good  marksmen.  I  don't  think  that 
I  ever  saw  stone-throwers  take  better  aim  than  they  did ; 
for  although  several  grazed  my  head  and  the  heads  of  my 
friends,  yet  not  one  of  us  was  hit  or  injured,  while  our 
kind  escort  were  tumbled  over,  and  some  of  them  quite 
severely  hurt.  Four  went  down  in  the  dust ;  the  little 
man  was  of  the  number,  but  he  was  on  his  feet  in  an 
instant,  the  blood  streaming  down  his  face  from  a  cut  on 
his  forehead. 

"  Forward ! "  Mr.  Parish  said,  and  wiped  the  lump  on 
liis  head,  from  which  the  blood  was  streaming.  It  was  a 
black  and  blue  lump,  and  of  the  size  of  an  egg.  He  waa 
a  game  little  Englishman,  even  if  he  did  have  us  in  charge 
as  suspected  head  centres  of  the  Fenian  persuasion. 

"  F  )rward  ! "  cried  the  little  fellow.  "  Don't  let  the 
prisoners  escape,  for  your  lives ! " 

"  Damn  my  blood)  Byes  if  my  life  ain't  worth  more  than 
these  head  centres,"  whispered  one  of  the  custom-house 
officers,  or  police;  and  just  as  the  Irish  uttered  a  shrill 
yell  for  vengeance,  and  charged  towards  us,  the  fellow 
darted  from  the  escort  and  ran  like  a  deer  for  the  townt 
5 


66         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

and  I  think  succeeded  in  breaking  through  the  circle  that 
surrounded  us.  I  did  not  have  time  to  follow  the  man's 
flight,  for  I  had  to  look  after  myself  and  friends,  to  escape 
being  killed ;  for  the  Irish  came  down  on  us  like  an  ava 
lanche. 

A  dozen  or  fifteen  shots  were  fired  at  the  Fenians,  but 
the  latter  did  not  even  snap  one  of  their  rusty  pistols  at 
us,  perhaps  for  fear  of  injuring  our  party,  who  were  sup 
posed  to  be  head  centres,  and  loaded  down  with  money 
for  the  cause  of  Ireland.  I  saw  some  of  the  Irish  fall,  but 
the  others  pressed  on  with  such  frightful  yells  as  reminded 
me  of  a  bushranger  rush  in  A  istralia. 

But  the  charge  was  not  met  with  the  police-like  firm 
ness  that  I  had  seen  when  Harden,  Fred,  and  I  stood 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  and  beat  back  the  waves  that  would 
have  swamped  us. 

I  heard  blows  struck,  and  I  saw  men  fall  on  all  sides. 
The  police  fought  well,  and  I'll  give  them  the  credit  of  it ; 
but  they  were  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  although  the 
result  might  have  been  different  had  the  police  been  free 
and  clear  of  prisoners. 

During  the  melee  we  stepped  aside,  or,  rather,  were 
forced  out  of  the  ring  by  our  friends,  such  as  they  were, 
and  compelled  to  see  heads  broken,  and  grievous  wounds 
inflicted,  by  the  various  weapons  with  which  the  Fenians 
were  armed. 

"  Come  wid  me,  and  run  for  it  as  though  the  devil  was 
arter  yer,"  some  one  whispered  in  our  ears  ;  and,  turning, 
J  saw  an  old  gray-headed  fellow  close  to  me,  a  sickle  in 
one  hand,  and  a  bludgeon  in  the  other. 

He  was  a  fierce-looking  genius,  with  black  eyes,  and  a 
nose  that  was  like  a  coal  of  fire,  it  was  so  red ;  animated, 
probably,  by  whiskey  which  never  paid  duties  to  the 
government. 

"  Why  should  we  run  ?  "  I  as  ;ed.  "  The  quarrel  and 
fight  does  not  concern  us." 

"Ah,  now,  to  the  devil  wid  jer  fair  words,"  was  the 
fierce  rejoinder  of  the  red-nosed  man.  "  Come  wid  ine^ 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  67 

or  ye'll  find  that  the  hemp  is  all  growed  that  will  bo  put 
around  your  necks.  To  be  sure,  we  has  lots  more  of  head 
sinters,  but  divlish  few  that  has  money;  so  while  the  bastes 
hang  the  former,  we  must  take  care  of  the  latter.  And  will 
ye  come  now,  and  have  done  wid  it,  and  no  more  palaver?" 

"Why  should  we  go  with  you?"  asked  Fred.  "Wo 
have  no  desire  to  run  away." 

"Ah,  is  that  the  kind  ye  are? "he  demanded,  a  grim 
smile  passing  over  his  rugged  face,  and  even  rendering  his 
nose  more  brilliant  than  ever ;  and  while  he  was  asking 
the  question,  I  saw  a  certain  respectful  admiration  in  those 
fierce-looking  eyes,  so  small  and  yet  so  cunning. 

"  Is  ye  on  it?"  demanded  the  old  fellow.  "  Thin  go  in 
and  bate  the  palers  afore  the  sogers  come  up,  for  they  will 
be  here  in  less  than  no  time.  Go  in  and  slash  'em."  And 
the  old  fellow  thrust  into  Fred's  hand  a  sickle,  and  in 
mine  a  shillalah,  or  heavy  bludgeon,  loaded  with  lead  at 
one  end,  and  capable  of  splitting  a  skull  with  a  moderate 
tap  on  the  head. 

The  old  fellow  evidently  expected  to  see  us  pitch  in 
with  a  vim  and  relish ;  but  in  this  he  was  disappointed,  for 
we  handed  the  weapons  back  to  hjm,  and  made  him  take 
care  of  them. 

"  Ah,  the  devil !  and  it's  not  on  the  fight  that  ye  are  ?  " 
demanded  the  old  fellow,  with  a  look  of  indignation,  and 
a  nose  that  resembled  a  red  light  in  a  dark  night. 

"No,  we  have  nothing  to  fight  for,"  Fred  replied. 

"Bah !  thin  give  us  the  money,  and  I'll  take  care  of  it 
for  the  cause,  and  the  devil  may  care  for  you  if  he  likes. 
Ye's  great  hed  sinters,  if  ye  shirk  a  glorious  little  fight 
like  this,  which  any  Fenian  would  be  delighted  to  share. 
Whoop!"  And  the  aged  Irishman  made  a  dash  at  the 
struggling  crowd,  and  disappeared  in  its  midst  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  but  for  a  moment ;  for  he  reappeared  as  sud 
denly  as  he  disappeared,  and  came  staggering  towards  us 
disarmed,  and  with  a  cut  on  his  nose  that  nearly  severed 
that  useful  member,  and  from  which  the  blood  streamed 
in  torrents,  ^id  covered  beard  and  breast. 


THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OB 

"Ah,  it's  as  illigant  a  little  scrimmage  as  I  ever  saw  in 
my  life ;  and  to  think  that  I  can't  have  another  hand  in  it 
is  enough  to  make  a  man's  soul  sad  for  a  lifetime."  And 
the  Fenian  endeavored  to  stanch  his  blood,  and  at  the 
same  time  looked  most  wishfully  at  the  raging  fight,  which 
was  still  going  on  without  his  presence. 

"Ah!"  cried  the  old  Irishman,  a  look  of  pride  on  his 
blood-stained  face ;  "  ye  niver  had  anythin'  like  this.  No 
country  but  Ireland  is  capable  of  the  likes." 

"Let  us  leave  this  gay  and  festive  scene,"  Fred  said. 
"  I  never  like  to  look  at  a  fight  unless  I  can  take  a  hand ; 
and  in  this  we  must  remain  neutral.  Come,  let  us  strike 
for  the  Irish  Harp  Inn,  and  not  for  the  Irish  Harp  and 
its  flag." 

"  I'd  like  one  crack  at  'em,"  Murden  muttered ;  but  he 
overcame  his  inclination,  and  followed  Fred. 

We  had  taken  but  a  dozen  or  twenty  steps,  when  some 
one  cried  out  that  the  "sogers  were  comin';"  and,  sure 
enough,  we  saw  a  number  of  red-coats  marching  towards 
us  on  the  double  quick,  their  guns  glittering  in  the  sun, 
and  a  crowd  of  ragged  gossoons  running  on  each  flank, 
cheering  and  yelling  like  mad,  as  though  delighted  at  the 
prospect  before  them. 

We  stopped,  uncertain  what  to  do.  To  advance  was 
to  involve  us  in  the  crowd  of  soldiers  and  rabble,  and  to 
remain  was  to  place  us  in  a  false  position ;  and  while  we 
were  hesitating,  a  dozen  or  twenty  of  the  gossoons  who 
had  been  fighting  the  police  threw  themselves  upon  us, 
pinned  our  arms,  seized  our  legs,  and  so  ran  with  us  up  a 
narrow  street,  in  spite  of  all  our  exertions  to  escape,  01 
to  free  ourselves  from  their  embraces. 

Up  t  le  narrow  street  we  went,  sometimes  touching  the 
ground,  and  scraping  the  skin  from  our  bodies  by  the  con 
tact,  until  we  reached  a  little  lane  that  contained  a  dozen 
houses  or  more,  and  in  one  of  them  we  were  hurried,  and 
the  door  shut  and  barred  after  us ;  and  not  until  then  were 
we  permitted  by  the  Fenians  to  stand  on  our  feet. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  69 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A     SECRET     UNDERGROUND    RETKEAT. —  WHISKEY     STILLS 

AND     FENIANISM. THE      ATTACK     AND     DEFENCE. A 

BLOW   FOR   LIBERTY. 

FOR  a  moment  or  two  after  the  Fenians  had  entered  the 
building  and  set  us  on  our  feet,  our  indignation  was  too 
great  to  permit  us  to  use  our  tongues  with  effect,  much 
as  we  desired  to.  As  for  Murden,  who  had  seen  life 
of  all  kinds  in  Australia,  from  a  hardenened  bushranger 
to  a  broken-hearted,  unjustly-convicted  convict,  he  was  so 
thoroughly  enrap-ed  that  he  would  have  struck  several  of 
those  who  surrounded  us,  if  I  had  not  held  his  hands,  and 
whispered  the  danger  we  were  in  if  we  provoked  the  Irish 
men  by  sudden  violence,  for  they  were  armed  and  we  were 
not ;  all  of  our  weapons  being  with  our  clothes,  in  valises 
and  carpet-bags. 

"Now,"  said  the  Fenian,  who  appeared  to  command  the 
others,  a  stout  fellow  with  shoulders  like  Hercules,  and  a 
savage,  determined  face,  "by  my  soul,  but  we  has  yer 
here,  and  safe,  for  the  present,  from  the  palers  and  red 
coats  ;  but  what  in  the  devil's  name  is  we  to  do  with  yer 
now  is  more  than  I  can  tell." 

"  Then  I  can,"  was  my  respose.  "  Let  us  out  of  this, 
and  we  will  go  to  the  inn,  where  we  can  eat  our  dinners 
in  peace." 

"No,"  said  the  stout  ruffian,  with  a  laugh.  "Hed  sinters, 
with  drafts  and  lots  of  goold,  ain't  so  plentiful  in  this  part 
of  the  world  as  all  that.  We  has  sworn  to  protect  yer, 
and  we  will,  and  afore  the  palers  and  the  sogers  get  yer, 
we'll  die  fust,  and  yer  shall  die  wid  us." 

"  Which  we  decline  to  do,"  returned  Fred.     "  We  have 
no  desire  to  interfere  in  the  affairs  of  this  country,  and 
once  for  all,  let  me  assure  you  that  we  are  not  Fenians 
never  were,  and  never  expect  to  be." 


70  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OR 

*'  That's  right,"  answered  the  large  man,  with  a  cunning 
laugh,  "kape  sayin'so;  but  the  boys  what  is  round  yet 
knows  better,  and  can  keep  a  sacret  as  well  as  the  next 
one.  Trust  to  us,  and  we'll  see  that  ye  is  put  at  the  head 
of  the  armies  that  will  kill  the  red-coats  like  flies ;  and 
give  us  all  our  rights  agin,  and  Old  Ireland  will  then  be  in- 
dado  the  gira  of  the  sea.  Never  fear  us,  yer  honors,  for 
we  is  the  boys  to  be  trusted." 

"  With  untold  gold,"  one  of  the  gossoons  muttered. 

"  Faith,  I'd  like  to  be  told  where  some  of  it  is,"  replied 
another,  with  a  laugh ;  but  just  at  this  moment  we  heard 
a  commotion  in  the  alley,  and  some  one  put  his  head  in  a 
window,  where  panes  of  glass  once  were,  and  shouted, — 

"  The  red-coated  divils  is  comin'  this  way,  as  fierce  as 
black  rats,  and  no  blarney  about  'em." 

For  a  moment,  the  Irish  who  had  us  in  charge,  whispered 
together,  as  though  debating  some  project  of  importance. 
We  hoped  they  would  conclude  to  let  us  escape  in  the  best 
way  we  could,  and  take  themselves  off;  but  such  was  not 
their  intention,  for  the  burly  ruffian  approached  us,  and 
said,  — 

"  Gintlemen,  we  is  intrusted  with  your  safety  by  Ire 
land's  hed  sinter,  and  take  care  of  you  we  will  at  the 
risk  of  our  lives.  Come  wid  us,  and  lose  no  time." 

"  We  shall  do  no  such  thing,"  I  replied.  "  Let  us  alone, 
and  go  to  the  devil  if  you  want  to.  Once  for  all  we  tell 
you  that  we  are  not  Fenians." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  dissatisfaction,  and  then  the 
scamps  made  a  rush  for  us,  and  once  more  pinned  our  arms 
and  legs.  If  we  had  had  our  revolvers  on  our  persons, 
we  should  have  used  them  regardless  of  consequences;  but, 
alas !  our  weapons  were  on  board  the  steamship,  with  the 
rest  of  the  luggage,  so  we  were  powerless  to  defend  our 
selves  against  so  many  hardened  customers. 

But  Rover  had  no  idea  of  seeing  us  ill-treated ;  and 
although  he  had  kept  remarkably  quiet,  in  obedience  to 
commands,  now  he  made  a  rush  at  the  Fenians,  and  seized 
one  of  them  bv  the  neck  and  bore  him  to  the  floor. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  71 

"Call  off  the  clog,"  the  Fenians  cried,  "or  we'll  soon 
finish  him ! "  and  one  of  the  fellows  raised  his  clnb,  but  Ro 
ver  saw  the  meditated  blow,  and  leaving  the  prostrate  man, 
sprang  at  the  gossoon,  and  made  his  teeth  meet  in  his 
arm,  and  then  gave  the  limb  such  a  shake  that  the  club 
was  dropped  as  though  the  hand  that  held  it  was  par 
alyzed. 

"  Call  off  the  dog,  or,  by  the  God  that  made  us,  we'll 
smash  his  head,  even  if  he  does  belong  to  'Merican  hed 
sinters!"  was  the  general  cry,  and  as  quick  as  I  could,  I 
broke  away  from  the  men  who  held  me,  and  rushed  to  the 
rescue  of  the  animal. 

"  The  one  who  touches  him  dies ! "  I  shouted,  and 
knocked  down  a  wild  man,  who  had  just  aimed  a  blow 
at  Rover's  head.  Others  I  pushed  aside  until  I  stood  over 
the  faithful  animal  as  a  shield  and  guard. 

For  a  moment  I  thought  I  was  lost,  and  so  did  my 
companions,  for  I  saw  all  three  of  them  make  frantic  ef 
forts  to  escape  from  those  who  held  them,  and  come  to  my 
assistance.  But  they  were  unable  to  clear  themselves,  and 
it  was  lucky  for  us  that  such  was  the  case,  for  we  should 
have  had  an  awful  fight  and  suffered  great  injuries,  if  ^not 
even  death  at  the  Irishmen's  hands. 

But  my  firmness  saved  us ;  for  the  Fenians  were  awed 
at  my  self-assumed  importance,  and  so  kept  their  hands  off 
of  me,  and  thus  I  saved  my  own  life,  and  that  of  Rover, 
which  I  valued  so  highly.  The  fellow  whom  I  had  knocked 
down,  got  up,  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  looked  mad  ;  but  not  a 
word  did  he  say,  nor  did  any  of  his  companions  assume 
his  quarrel. 

The  sound  of  tramping  feet  now  grew  louder,  mingled 
with  the  yells  of  the  mob  who  accompanied  the  military, 
and  were  most  anxious  to  witness  a  fight  of  some  kind  or 
other,  just  for  a  novelty. 

"  Come  wid  us !  "  cried  the  burly  ruffian,  who  seemed  to 
.ead  the  party.  "No  harm  shall  come  to  yer  while  I  is 
able  to  protect  yer.  Come,  be  alive,  men,  or  the  sogeri 
will  be  on  us." 


72         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

As  he  spoke,  he  touched  a  spring  on  the  side  of  the 
wall,  and  a  portion  of  it  swung  back  and  revealed  a  flight 
of  steps,  damp  and  decayed,  which  led  to  a  cellar.  A 
strong  smell  of  spirits  steamed  up  through  the  narrow 
opening,  and  some  of  the  Fenians  snuffed  at  it  most  ea 
gerly. 

"Down  wid  yer!"  cried  the  big  man.  "We  has  no  time 
to  lose.  Lift  'em  up,  Pat.  So — softly,  man.  Don't  yank 
'em,  for  remember  they  is  hed  sinters,  and  come  to  help  us 
with  goold  and  men." 

I  can't  say  that  this  advice  was  strictly  followed,  for  we 
were  hustled  and  lifted  through  the  opening,  dog  and  all ; 
and  then  carried  down  the  steps,  dark  and  slippery,  until 
we  were  dropped  on  the  ground ;  then,  by  the  aid  of 
a  lamp,  we  saw  that  we  were  surrounded  by  kegs  and 
kettles,  grain  and  tubs ;  and  we  had  no  hesitation  in  arriv 
ing  at  the  conclusion  tjiat  we  were  in  some  deep  cellar, 
where  whiskey  was  manufactured  and  sold  without  the  aid 
of  government  taxes.  It  was  evidently  a  place  known  to 
but  few,  and  we  had  been  brought  there  in  the  hope  that 
we  should  be  concealed  until  it  was  safe  for  us  to  seek 
other  quarters. 

"  Here  ye  is,"  said  the  stout  ruffian,  motioning  us  to  be 
seated  on  some  sacks  of  grain.  "  Yer  nice  and  snug  here, 
and  divil  a  paler  in  Queenstown  knows  this  place,  or  will 
be  likely  to  know  it,  unless  yer  splits  on  us,  and  if  ye  does 
that,  it's  a  long  way  ye  must'be  from  me  to  keep  my  hands 
from  yer  throats,  now  I  tell  yer,  whether  ye  is  hed  sinters 
or  plain  common  Fenians  like  the  rest  of  us." 

"  Let  us  out  of  this,  and  you  need  not  fear  our  uttering 
a  word  respecting  the  still,"  Fred  said,  as  soon  as  the  mur 
murs  of  the  Irish  had  subsided,  for  they  showed  by  their 
faces  how  terrible  would  be  the  fate  of  any  one  who  should 
dare  to  betray  their  secret  rendezvous. 

"  Whist,  and  don't  bother  us  wid  that  kind  of  blarney," 
the  big  ruffian  replied.  "  Here  ye  is,  and  here  ye  must 
Btay,  till  we  hears  from  Hed  Sinter  Stevens,  who  has 


THE   BEAD   ALIVE.  73 

given  us  our  orders,  and  faith,  we  will  mind  'era  at  all 
hazards." 

"  Even  if  he  should  tell  you  to  kill  us,T>  Murden  said,  in 
a  tone  that  showed  how  much  dissatisfied  he  was. 

"If  Hed  Sinter  Stevens  should  say  that  the  safety  of 
the  Irish  Republic  demanded  yer  lives,  we  would  take  'em, 
and  never  give  the  matter  a  thought,  would  we,  boys  ?  " 

u  No !  "  was  the  universal  cry ;  and  we  saw  that  the  men 
were  in  earnest,  if  ever  men  were  in  their  lives. 

The  chief  rascal  saw  that  his  conversation  was  not  in 
structive  or  entertaining,  for  he  soon  changed  the  subject 
to  one  more  agreeable. 

"Pat,"  he  cried,  "bring  the  gintleman  a  noggin  of 
whiskey,  and  thin  stir  round  and  see  if  ye  can't  find  'em 
eomethin'  to  eat,  for  it's  hungry  they  are." 

A  wild,  long-haired  fellow,  naked  to  the  waist,  crept 
from  behind  some  kettles,  where  a  fire  was  burning,  and 
heavy  steam  escaping,  and  after  a  long  stare  at  us  filled  a 
mug  with  whiskey,  just  distilled,  and  warm,  and  handed 
it  to  us. 

"  Drink,"  said  the  leader,  "  and  see  if  ye  can  taste  the 
smoke  of  Old  Ireland's  whiskey.  There's  not  a  single 
drunk  in  a  whole  keg  of  it." 

We  did  not  refuse  the  offer,  for  we  needed  a  little  stimu 
lant  after  our  exertions.  We  found  the  whiskey  soft  and 
oily,  and  with  a  strong,  smoky  taste,  that  was  far  from  dis 
agreeable,  although  to  really  like  new  Irish  whiskey,  an 
apprenticeship  must  be  served  in  the  drinking  line,  that 
but  few  men  can  endure  unless  their  stomachs  are  copper- 
lined. 

By  the  way  of  keeping  us  company,  all  those  present, 
some  dozen  men,  helped  themselves  to  spirits,  and  tossed 
off  each  a  half  pint,  and  appeared  to  like  the  same,  for  they 
would  have  repeated  the  dose  had  not  the  chief  interfered, 
and  put  a  stop  to  their  helping  themselves. 

The  scene  was  not  calculated  to  make  one  feel  at  peace 
with  all  the  world,  for  the  cellar  was  damp,  and  black  with 
smoke,  and  the  two  candles,  stuck  in  the  necks  of  bot- 


74  THE    GOLD   HUNTEliS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

ties,  gave  but  little  light,  or  just  sufficient  to  make  tnose 
wno  surrounded  us  appear  hideous  and  wild,  dirty  and 
savage  in  the  extreme,  almost  equal  to  what  we  had  wit 
nessed  in  Australia. 

"  If  1  only  had  a  dozen  of  my  police  force  here,"  whis- 
peied  Harden,  "I  would  soon  make  short  work  of  these 
fellows." 

"  Hush  !  "  returned  Fred,  who  knew  that  the  word  police 
would  stir  all  the  bad  passions  of  the  rough  men  who  sur 
rounded  us ;  but  the  caution  was  too  late,  for  the  burly 
ruffian  who  sat  near  us  heard  the  ominous  word  "  police," 
and  it  acted  on  him  like  a  spur. 

"  Who  talks  of  police  in  this  place  ?  "  he  demanded,  and 
put  one  hand  on  a  huge  knife  which  he  carried  in  his  belt. 
"  The  man  who  spakes  of  police  in  this  sacred  retreat  is  a 
traitor,  and  deserves  death.  Have  we  a  traitor  amongst 
us  ?  Spake,  and  let  us  know." 

A  howl  of  rage  from  the  men  who  surrounded  us,  and 
all  turned  their  flashing  eyes  and  dark  faces  towards  us,  so 
that  we  could  read  murder  without  the  least  trouble. 

"  Put  up  your  knife ! "  cried  Fred,  in  a  tone  that  was 
so  calm  and  indifferent,  that  even  the  Fenians  who  sur 
rounded  us  were  awed  into  silence.  "  Don't  make  fools  of 
yourselves  and  get  into  a  passion,  until  you  see  that  there 
is  occasion  for  it." 

"But  what  did  he  mane  by  speakin'  police  here?"  de 
manded  the  chief  of  tjie  ruffians. 

"Couldn't  you  hear?"  Fred  said,  in  a  tone  of  contempt. 
"Didn't  he  say  that  we  were  safe  from  the  police  in  this 
retreat?  Put  up  your  knives  and  clubs,  and  let  us  ha\e 
another  drink  of  whiskey,  for  the  last  was  the  best  that  I 
ever  tasted.  Ah !  if  we  had  such  in  America,  I'd  never 
leave  her  to  fight  any  one's  battles." 

The  men  uttered  grunts  expressive  of  pleasure,  for  Fred 
had  touched  them  on  a  weak  point.  Their  national  drink 
was  too  dear  to  their  hearts  not  to  delight  in  hearing  it 
praised.  Their  faces  relaxed  their  savage  expressions,  and 
good-nature  once  more  beamed  on  them. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  75 

"Pat,"  roared  the  chief,  "more  of  the  spirit  that  gives 
the  buys  heart,  and  courage,  and  strength  to  their  arms. 
We'll  make  a  night  of  it,  for  the  poteen  is  plenty,  and  our 
minds  is  willin'.  Fill  up  the  measures,  and  we'll  drink  to 
the  Harp,  and  confusion  to  all  bloody  Britons." 

We  but  put  our  lips  to  the  spirit,  for  we  wanted  to  keep 
sober,  at  the  same  time  we  made  great  pretension  of  drink 
ing;  but  most  of  the  whiskey  was  spilled  on  the  ground, 
and  the  Fenians  were  none  the  wiser  for  what  we  did. 

"  Hist,"  cried  the  burly  ruffian,  "  I  has  a  toast  to  propose. 
Here  it  is,  buys.  May  'Merica  never  want  a  friend  as  long 
as  Old  Ireland  has  one  to  furnish !" 

A  yell  was  the  response ;  but  it  died  away  suddenly,  for 
over  our  heads  we  could  hear  the  reports  of  musketry,  and 
the  tramp  of  many  feet,  the  shouts  and  imprecations  of 
enraged  men,  and  all  the  evidences  of  a  free  fight. 

"By  the  holy  St.  Patrick!  but  they  is  at  it,"  cried  the 
chiefi  as  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  dashed  down  the  can 
from  which  he  had  been  drinking. 

For  a  moment  we  listened  in  silence  to  the  strife  that 
was  going  on,  and  then  the  Fenians  who  had  us  in  charge 
could  no  longer  remain  quiet.  Their  pugnacious  disposi 
tions  were  too  excited  to  hear  the  sounds  of  battle  and  not 
join  in  it. 

"Shall  we  stay  here  and  let  our  friends  have  all  the 
fun  ?"  asked  one  man ;  and  he  flourished  his  shillalah  iu 
the  air,  and  uttered  a  wild  yell. 

"  But  who  will  take  care  of  the  hed  sinters  ?  They  must 
remain  here  till  Stevens  is  heard  from,  and  on  no  account 
can  they  mingle  in  the  fight." 

Fresh  yells  and  more  firing  quickened  the  action  of  the 
Fenians.  A  terrible  struggle  was  going  on  in  the  street, 
and  in  the  rooms  overhead,  and  our  friends  were  anxious 
to  join  in  the  melee  as  soon  as  possible. 

"  Here,  Pat,"  cried  the  chief,  "  do  you  look  to  these  gln- 
tlemen,  while  we  goes  up  and  has  a  hand  in  the  fight.  I'll 
hold  yer  responsible  for  their  safe  keepin',  and  see  that  not 
a  hair  of  their  heads  is  hurted,  or  that  they  does  not  folle/ 


76         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OK 

us.  Now,  buys,  come  on  and  hit  the  red-coats  and  palers 
hard." 

The  men  darted  into  darkness  and  disappeared  from 
sight.  They  had  some  secret  passage  which  led  to  the 
outer  world,  and  to  find  that  passage  would  be  .our  en 
deavor  as  soon  as  the  proper  time  arrived. 

Pat,  the  guardian  angel  of  the  place,  lighted  his  pipe, 
and  sat  down  on  a  keg  of  poteen,  looking  at  us  most  at 
tentively  ;  and  at  last  he  said,  — 

"  Ah,  and  what  the  divil  sent  ye  here  how  ?  Couldn't 
ye  find  enough  rows  in  yer  own  country,  that  ye  must 
come  here  for'  ern  ?  Bedad,  when  yer  heads  has  bin  broken 
as  often  as  mine,  it's  little  ye'll  care  for  sich  fun.  Ah,  whin 
I  was  young,  sich  things  was  agreeable ;  but  time  takes 
the  fight  out  of  us,  and  at  last  he  knocks  us  down  without 
a  blow."  > 

The  old  fellow  helped  himself  to  more  whiskey,  and 
passed  the  noggin  to  us.  We  made  believe  drink,  but 
were  too  much  excited  at  the  row  overhead  to  pay  our  re 
spects  to  the  liquor. 

"  Won't  the  police  be  likely  to  find  our  retreat  ?  "  Mur- 
den  asked  of  Pat. 

"  Divil  a  fear  of  that.  The  place  has  been  used  for  the 
distillin'  of  pure  poteen  for  twenty  years,  and  no  one  has 
dared  to  inform  of  it.  Faith,  it's  little  a  man's  life  would 
be  worth  who  should  spake  the  word  that  led  the  palers 
to  this  place.  Big  Mike  would  make  short  work  of  him, 
unless  the  mane  scamp  was  shiltered  in  the  midst  of  the 
queen's  officers;  and  even  then,  some  Fenian  might  strike 
him  down." 

"  Big  Mike  is  the  chief  of  the  Fenians  in  these  parts,  ig 
he  ?  "  Fred  asked. 

"  Yes,  he  is ;  and  a  man  what  makes  himself  respected, 
now,  I  tell  yer." 

"  And  he  owns  the  still,  does  he  ?  "  Murden  said. 

"And  what  is  that  to  yer?  "the  fellow  asked,  with  a 
cunning  grin.  "  It's  too  much  knowledge  ye  is  arter  to 
suit  me." 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  77 

Still  the  row  continued  overhead ;  and  once  in  a  while 
WQ  could  hear  the  reports  of  pistols  and  muskets,  as  though 
those  in  the  house  were  firing  on  people  outside,  and  at 
tempting  to  hold  them  at  bay. 

"  Keep  the  fellow  in  check  for  a  while,"  whispered  Mur- 
den.  "I'll  return  in  a  few  minutes." 

The  ex-commissioner  of  police  of  Australia  was  as 
light-footed  and  subtile  as  an  Indian.  He  could  walk 
across  a  creaking  floor  and  make  no  more  noise  than  a 
mouse,  or  he  could  pass  over  a  Victoria  prairie,  and  even 
puzzle  a  native  to  track  his  course ;  and  that  is  saying 
much  in  commendation  of  his  light  step,  for  an  Australian 
native  is  as  keen-scented  on  a  trail  as  a  bloodhound,  and 
can  trace  a  man  over  a  desert  of  sand,  even  where  it  shifts 
with  every  gust  of  wind. 

Murden  dropped  behind  the  bags  of  grain  and  disap 
peared  in  the  darkness,  followed  by  Rover;  the  rest  of  us 
apparently  not  noticing  the  absence  of  the  commissioner, 
for  we  kept  the  Irishman's  attention  so  employed  that  he 
did  not  miss  our  companion. 

"  More  poteen,  Pat,"  cried  Fred.  "  Come,  man,  don't  be 
mean  with  the  drink.  If  we  had  lemons,  sugar,  and  hot 
water,  an  elegant  bowl  of  punch  we  would  have,  and  no 
mistake." 

"What!  would  ye  drink  punch  when  yer  friends  is  hav- 
in'  a  scrimmage  overhead,  and  some  of 'em  is  sufferin'  with 
broken  pates  ?  " 

The  Irishman  uttered  a  growl  of  disgust  at  the  idea; 
but  still  he  did  not  refuse  to  fill  the  noggin  with  whiskey 
and  to  pass  it  to  us ;  and  then  for  the  first  time  he  discov 
ered  the  absence  of  Murden. 

"  Where  is  he  ? "  demanded  the  keeper  of  the  still,  in 
a  fierce  tone.  "  One  of  yer  has  gone,  and  I  must  know 
where  he  is.  Tell  me,  or  no  whiskey  does  yer  get  from 
me." 

"  Gone  ?  Why  he  has  gone  to  sleep,  I  suppose,"  returned 
Fred,  in  a  careless  tone.  "  Give  us  the  whiskey,  snd  don'1 
bother  us  with  idle  questions." 


78  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

"Tell  me  where  the  other  one  is,  and  ye  shall  have  aK 
ye  wants.  Don't  play  any  of  yer  tricks  on  me,  or  by  St, 
Patrick  ye  will  repint  it,  now  I  tell  yer." 

The  fellow  had  drank  enough  to  be  ugly ;  but  we  did 
not  care  for  his  anger,  if  we  could  only  effect  our  escape 
from  the  place  before  the  Fenians  returned. 

Pat  seized  a  candle  and  took  a  survey  of  the  sacks  on 
which  we  sat,  and  the  first  object  on  which  his  bloodshot 
tyes  rested,  were  the  forms  of  Murden  and  Rover;  tho 
former  apparently  fast  asleep,  and  the  latter  winking  and 
blinking  as  innocent  as  a  baby,  although  he  did  show  his 
teeth  when  Pat  held  a  candle  too  near  his  nose ;  and  it 
would  have  required  but  a  word  to  have  sent  the  hound 
flying  at  his  throat. 

"You  see  that  we  told  you  the  truth,"  cried  Fred,  as 
soon  as  we  saw  that  Murden  had  returned,  and  was  coun 
terfeiting  sleep.  "  Now  you  feel  satisfied  —  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  if  he  sleeps  there  long,  it's  little  will  be  left 
of  him  by  morninV 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Hopeful,  whose  curiosity  was  excited. 

"  Rats,"  was  the  reply.  "  Big  ones  is  here,  and  they  eats 
men  when  they  sleeps  arter  too  much  drink.  Pat  Maguire 
lost  his  nose  a  few  nights  since,  arter  he'd  taken  a  quart  of 
whiskey ;  and  many's  the  time  the  four-legged  divils  has 
dragged  me  all  round  the  cellar,  and  banged  my  head  on 
the  ground." 

Pat,  after  uttering  this  monstrous  lie,  turned  away  to 
look  after  one  of  his  stills;  and  then  we  had  a  moment 
to  confer  with  Murden. 

"  I've  searched  in  every  part  of  the  place,  and  can  see 
no  outlet,"  he  whispered.  "There  is  a  secret  door,  but  I 
could  not  find  it.  To  do  so  requires  more  time.  What 
Bhall  wtido?" 

"  Bind  the  Irishman,  and  compel  him  to  reveal  the  out 
let,"  Fred  replied. 

"What  do  you  all  say  to  that?  "  demanded  Murden. 

"  We  all  agree,"  was  the  reply. 

u  Then  stand  by  and  give  me  aid  in  case  I  need  it," 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  79 

Murden  said ;  and  just  at  that  moment  Pat,  came  near  ua 
with  another  noggin  of  poteen  in  his  hand,  with  which  he 
intended  to  serve  our  party. 

Murden  slipped  from  the  sacks,  stole  around  to  the  rear 
of  the  Irishman,  and  before  the  latter  suspected  a  trick 
his  arms  were  pinioned  to  his  sides,  and  he  was  struggling 
like  a  maniac,  and  uttering  a  few  shrill  yells,  prcbably  as 
signals  that  his  prisoners  had  risen  in  revolt. 

The  scuffle  was  of  short  duration.  Hopeful  caught  the 
fellow  by  the  legs,  and  in  an  instant  he  was  jerked  to  the 
ground,  and  his  mouth  stopped  by  a  cloth,  while  his  arms 
were  secured  by  ropes,  which  were  found  near  at  hand. 

While  we  were  thus  employed,  Pat  glared  at  us  like  a 
fiend ;  but  we  cared  nothing  for  his  glances,  and,  leaving 
him  on  the  ground,  took  candles,  and  started  off  to  search 
the  premises,  and  find  an  outlet  so  that  we  could  escape. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

AN    ATTEMPT     TO     ESCAPE.  — KOVER    AND    THE 

LEG. A   GAME    THAT    WAS   BLOCKED. STORMING    THE 

CELLAR. A   FAMILIAR   VOICE. 

WE  had  no  time  to  lose  if  we  would  escape  before  the 
soldiers  carried  the  premises  by  storm,  or  before  the  Feni 
ans  returned  to  see  that  our  safety  was  provided  for, 
according  to  their  estimation  of  safety,  not  ours;  for  we 
felt  quite  anxious  to  keep  clear  of  the  peelers,  soldiers, 
and  their  enemies,  the  Fenians,  who  would  be  certain  to 
do  us  some  injury  the  instant  they  discovered  that  we  hatf 
no  connection  with  the  order. 

The  row  overhead  still  continued,  so  we  knew  that  OUT 
late  companions  were  too  much  engaged  to  return  just  at 
present,  and  as  Pat  was  securely  bound  and  gagjred,  there 


80         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

was  no  danger  of  his  giving  an  alarm,  and  thus  attracting 
attention  to  our  movements. 

Hopeful  and  Murclen,  armed  with  pieces  of  iron  which 
they  found  near  at  hand,  started  off  in  one  direction,  while 
Fred  and  I,  quite  as  well  provided  with  weapons  of 
defence,  took  another,  our  paths  being  lighted  with  tal 
low  dips,  which  we  found  in  a  box  out  of  the  reach  of 
rats. 

"The  gang  went  in  this  direction,"  Fred  said,  as  we 
pushed  past  the  stills,  some  of  them  in  full  blast.  "  There 
must  be  an  opening  out  here  somewhere,  and  I  hope  that 
we  shall  find  it." 

But  we  did  not  discover  the  secret  passage,  although  we 
looked  very  sharp  for  it.  The  sides  of  the  cellar  wero 
black  and  grim  with  smoke,  and  in  some  places  soot  and 
mould  were  two  and  three  inches  thick,  showing  that  it 
had  been  undisturbed  for  years. 

There  was  no  use  in  looking  in  such  places,  so  we  hur 
ried  along  in  another  direction  ;  but  no  trap-door  or  lad 
der  met  our  eyes,  hard  as  we  looked,  and  while  we  were 
thus  employed,  we  met  Hopeful  and  Murden,  who  had 
been  as  unsuccessful  as  ourselves. 

"No  luck,"  said  Murden,  although  we  had  not  asked 
him  the  result  of  his  labors.  "  The  scamps  have  had  the 
address  to  conceal  the  place  by  which  they  left  the  cellar, 
and  it  will  require  more  time  and  better  light  than  we 
possess  to  find  it." 

«  What's  to  be  done  ?  "  asked  Fred. 

u  We  must  return  to  Pat,  and  induce  him  to  show  us  the 
door,"  Murden  said. 

The  manner  in  which  he  spoke  showed  that  he  meant 
Bomething. 

"Do  you  mean  Australian  style  of  inducement?"  Fred 
asked,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Yes,  if  all  other  means  fail.  We  can't  stand  on  trifles 
iust  at  this  t  ne.  Our  lives  and  liberty  depend  on  expe 
dition." 

"That's  so,"  muttered  Hez;   and  back  we  started  to 


THE    DEAD    ALTVE.  81 

wards  the  Irishman,  whom  we  found  lying  on  his  back, 
with  several  large  rats  on  his  head  and  near  his  person, 
holding  a  consultation  as  to  the  expediency  of  nipping  the 
Irishman,  and  seeing  whether  his  flesh  would  taste  better 
than  the  grain,  of  which  they  were  a  little  tired. 

The  vermin  retreated  when  they  saw  us;  but  they 
went  off  in  a  slow  manner,  as  though  they  were  half 
inclined  to  show  fight,  and  would  if  we  were  too  inde 
pendent.  At  any  rate,  they  exhibited  some  teeth  that 
were  long,  sharp,  and  white,  showing  their  weapons  for 
attack  and  defence. 

"Faith,"  said  Pat,  as  we  removed  the  gag  from  his 
mouth,  "  don't  lave  me  in  this  manner  agin,  for  if  ye  does 
the  bloody  rats  will  make  a  meal  of  me,  and  no  mistake." 

"We  won't, ,on  one  condition,"  said  Murden,  with  one 
of  his  commissioner  scowls  and  stern  looks,  such  as  used 
to  wilt  the  stoutest  bushranger  in  Australia. 

"Name  it,"  Pat  cried. 

"  Show  us  where  the  secret  passage  is,  so  that  we  can 
get  out  and  join  those  overhead,"  Murden  continued. 

"Niver!"  was  the  firm  reply.  "You  might  give  me 
untoold  goold,  and  I'll  kape  the  secret.  I've  bin  here 
twenty  years,  and  no  man  knows  what  I  knows  about  the 
place ;  but  I  tells  no  one :  now  mind  that,  if  ye  plase." 

"  We  can  waste  no  time  with  you,"  Murden  said.  "  Give 
us  the  information,  and  we  will  reward  you.  Refuse,  and 
you  must  suffer.  Choose  quickly." 

"  I  niver  will  turn  informer,  like  a  thafe,"  was  the  reply. 

Murden  snatched  up  a  small  tunnel,  a  tin  one,  such  as 
had  been  used  to  fill  bottles  with  poteen. 

"  Bring  me  a  gallon  of  water,"  the  commissioner  said ; 
and  then  we  knew  the  punishment  that  awaited  the  Irish 
man,  for  we  had  seen  the  same  torture  applied  in  Australia, 
and  always  with  success,  as  far  as  making  the  victim  yield 
his  will  to  the  one  who  wanted  certain  secrets,  and  had 
the  power  to  apply  punishment. 

The  water  was  brought  and  placed  by  the  Irishman's 
Bide.    Pat  looked  at  the  tunnel,  at  the  gallon  measure  of 
6 


82  THE    GOLD    HUNTEES   IN  EUROPE,   OB 

water,  and  then  at  our  party,  but  he  did  not  speak  a  word, 
for  the  reason  that  he  could  not,  his  mouth  being  once 
more  securely  gagged,  and  his  limbs  tied  with  ropes  which 
he  could  not  break. 

"  For  the  last  time,  I  ask  you  to  show  the  door  which 
leads  to  the  open  air,"  Murden  said. 

Pat  scowled  at  us  and  shook  his  head,  in  token  of  hia 
refusal  to  comply  with  our  request.  The  row  overhead 
was  decreasing,  and  each  moment  we  feared  that  the  Feni 
ans  wou-d  return  and  demand  reparation  for  our  conduct 
towards  tae  man  whom  they  had  left  in  charge  of  us. 
We  had  no  time  to  lose. 

Murden  made  a  motion,  and  out  of  the  Irishman's  mouth 
came  the  gag.  As  soon  as  he  found  his  throat  clear,  he 
tittered  one  shrill  yell ;  but  this  was  just  what  we  ex 
pected,  and  hardly  had  the  scream  died  away,  when  the 
tunnel  was  forced  into  the  man's  mouth,  and  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  could  not  expel  it  if  he  tried  ever  so 
hard. 

"  Pour ! "  said  Murden,  in  a  tone  of  voice  that  showed 
he  had  not  forgotten  his  policeman's  decision. 

Hopeful  raised  the  gallon  measure,  and  emptied  some 
of  it  in  the  tunnel.  Pat  kicked  and  squirmed  with  aston 
ishment,  and  what  he  could  not  swallow  oozed  from  the 
sides  of  his  mouth. 

Murden  made  a  sign,  and  pouring  the  water  was  sus 
pended. 

"  Will  you  show  us  the  secret  door  ?  "  was  demanded. 

"  A  look  that  said  "  no "  was  the  answer,  but  it  was 
not  so  defiant  as  the  first  one. 

"  Pour !  "  was  the  command  ;  and  once  more  the  water 
commenced  flowing  down  the  tunnel. 

A  small  stream  was  emptied  from  the  gallon  measure, 
and  passed  into  the  throat  of  the  wretch,  powerless  to 
resist  it. 

One,  two,  three  minutes  passed,  and  still  the  man  en 
dured  the  torture  without  a  sign  to  show  that  he  sub 
mitted.  He  struggled;  but  the  water  continued  to  flow, 


THE    DEAD    ALIYE.  83 

and  at  the  end  of  five  minutes  Pat  had  had  enough,  and 
signified  so  by  a  nod,  which  we  could  not  fail  to  under 
stand. 

The  tunnel  was  removed  from  his  mouth  at  once.  Pat 
uttered  a  half-choked  sigh  of  relief,  but  made  no  attempt 
to  raise  an  alarm.  His  spirits  appeared  to  be  a  little  too 
much  subdued  for  all  that ;  but,  as  soon  as  he  could  find 
words,  he  said,  in  a  protesting  tone, — 

"Ah,  the  divil,  and  did  ye  want  to  drown  my  insidea 
wid  yer  vile  water,  when  so  much  good  whiskey  was 
near,  that  ye  could  have  used  jist  as  well.  Had  it  been 
poteen,  I'd  have  stuck  out  till  I'd  bust." 

"You  will  show  us  the  secret  entrance?"  Murden 
asked. 

"Ah,  now,  it  was  the  sacret  outlet  ye  wanted  a  while 
ago,"  cried  Pat,  in  a  blarneying  tone. 

"  It  means  the  same  thing,"  Murden  said. 

"  No,  sir,  I  axes  yer  pardon ;  it  don't  mane  the  same 
thing,  and  it  can't  mane  the  same  thing,  for  the  reason 
that  —  " 

Murden  once  more  took  up  the  tunnel,  and  motioned  to 
Hez  to  take  charge  of  the  water;  but  no  sooner  did  Pat 
notice  the  signs  than  he  withdrew  all  equivocation. 

"  Gently,  gintlemin,"  he  said ;  "  we  may  differ  a  little 
on  minor  pints,  yet  still  be  agreed  on  the  principal  thing. 
Let  me  have  a  chance  to  breathe  afore  ye  ask  me  many 
questions." 

"  Not  a  moment,"  was  the  stern  reply.  "  Show  us  how 
we  can  make  our  escape  from  this  place,  and  we'll  reward 
you.  Refuse,  and  punishment  awaits  you." 

"And  sich  punishment!"  Pat  exclaimed,  in  a  doleful 
tone,  as  though  he  was  thinking  how  he  should  continue 
to  puzzle  us,  and  thus  gain  time.  "  Only  to  think  of  pourin' 
water  into  a  man's  stomach,  when  whiskey  is  within  reach 
of  all  1  Bloody  zounds,  but  it's  formin'  cakes  of  ice  in  my 
insides  it  is,  and  a  hot  punch  alone  will  thaw  it." 

All  the  time  that  Pat  was  speaking,  he  was  slowly  lead 
ing  us  along,  past  bins  of  potatoes,  kegs  of  spirits,  empty 


84  THE    GOLD    HUNTEES   IX   EUROPE,    OB 

barrels,  and  sacks  of  grain.  "We  suspected  him  of  some 
trick,  yet  kept  such  a  good  watch  upon  his  movements, 
that  we  certainly  supposed  him  incapable  of  doing  us  the 
least  injury,  yet  the  result  showed  that  Pat  was  more  crafty 
than  we  had  given  him  credit  for. 

"You  see,"  said  the  Irishman,  "  how  snug  a  man  can  bo 
here.  N~ow  divil  a  red-coat  knows  that  in  this  same  place 
there  is  gunpowder  enough  to  blow  a  regiment  to  Bally- 
wack  and  back  agin." 

"Gunpowder!  D — n,  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that 
there's  gunpowder  in  this  blasted  cellar,  where  fires  is 
burnin'  all  the  time  —  do  you?"  demanded  Hez. 

"  I  does  that,"  was  the  response.  "  See  here,"  and  Pat 
pointed  to  a  keg  that  stood  at  his  feet.  "  In  this  keg  is 
cartridges,  and  I  wish  every  one  of  'em  was  in  a  paler's 
body." 

"  Keep  the  light  from  the  keg,  or  we'll  all  go  to  the  devil 
together,"  Murden  said ;  and  just  as  he  spoke,  Pat  stepped 
towards  us,  a  sudden  movement  that  we  did  not  notice, 
and  then,  with  one  blow  of  his  fist,  he  struck  the  lamp 
which  Hopeful  held,  and  dashed  it  upon  the  keg  which 
was  said  to  contain  gunpowder. 

We  gave  several  jumps,  and  tumbled  over  barrels 
and  sacks,  expecting  an  explosion  that  would  blow  us 
into  eternity  in  a  moment.  We  were  in  darkness,  and 
wished  for  light,  but  not  such  kind  as  gunpowder  pro 
duced. 

Confused  as  we  were  by  tumbling  and  groping  in  the 
dark,  we  all  recovered  our  feet;  and,  as  we  did  so,  a  cur 
rent  of  fresh  air  entered  the  cellar,  as  though  a  door  or 
window  had  been  opened,  and  then  we  were  startled  by 
Pat's  well-known  brogue. 

u Ah,  boys,  what  do  yer  think  of  it  now?  Is  a  Irish 
man  up  to  Yankee  lied  sinters'  tricks,  or  is  he  only  .fit  to 
be  filled  with  coold  water  by  the  aid  of  tin  tunnel,  be 
gad  ?  Whoop,  don't  ye  wish  that  ye  had  me  near  the  keg 
of  gunpowder,  and  the  light  in  yer  hand  ?  Do  ye  think 
I'd  fly  away  to  glory  ?  Hist,  I  can  hear  yer  teetli  chat  . 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  85 

terin',  even  here,  and  so  I'll  wish  yer  a  good  day,  till  the 
boys  icturns  to  settle  wid  yer." 

"One  moment,  Pat,"  cried  Fred. 

"  Well,  be  quick  about  it,  thin,  for  I'm  in  a  hurry.  I'm 
afeard  that  the  explosion  will  take  place ; "  and  then  the 
fellow  laughed  as  if  to  mock  us  in  our  misfortunes.  We 
could  not  see  him,  for  we  were  in  pitch  darkness;  but  we 
could  hear  the  slippery  scamp,  and  would  have  felt  better 
if  we  could  have  laid  hands  on  him  and  punished  him  for 
his  treachery. 

" Pat,"  said  Fred, "let  us  be  friends." 

"  Yes,  and  fill  a  friend's  belly  with  coold  water.  Ugh, 
is  that  the  way  to  treat  Ireland's  friends?" 

"  But  listen  to  me  for  a  moment,  Pat.  We  will  give 
you  ten  gold  sovereigns  if  you  wall  let  us  out." 

"Not  for  tin  hundred,  arter  pourin'  water  in  my  belly 
with  a  tin  tunnel.  I  go  to  tell  the  boys  of  it ;  and  won't 
they  feel  wild  when  they  know  that  I've  had  to  drink 
water,  and  that  is  somethin'  that  they  all  despise,  and  they 
despise  the  man  what  dales  in  it.  Good  by,  and  take 
mighty  good  care  of  the  gunpowder." 

Here  he  stopped  for  a  moment,  as  though  to  take  breath; 
but  he  little  thought  that  an  enemy  was  stealing  on  him  in 
the  dark. 

"  Jasus ! "  suddenly  shouted  Pat,  and  that  exclamation 
satisfied  me  that  Rover  had  done  his  work  in  a  faithful 
manner;  for  while  Fred  and  Pat  were  discussing  terms, 
and  when  I  saw  that  there  was  no  danger  of  an  explosion, 
I  had  laid  my  hand  on  Rover's  head,  and  whispered  a  few 
words  in  his  ear,  \\hich  the  hound  understood  as  readily 
as  if  he  was  human. 

His  scent  was  true,  and  his  instinct  wonderful.  He  had 
crept  alrag  in  the  dark;  and  just  as  Pat  was  bidding  us 
farewell,  Rover  had  seized  the  Irishman's  leg,  and  held  it 
as  if  in  a  vice. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Fred,  as  Pat  commenced 
shouting  his  surprise,  and  struggled  to  escape  from  the 
strong  teeth  of  the  dog. 


86        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUKOPE,  OR 

"Matter  enough.  Call  off  the  dog,  or  to  the  divil  I 
pitch  him." 

"  If  you  offer  to  strike  the  animal,  he  will  tear  you  in 
pieces !  "  I  shouted,  fearful  that  my  favorite  would  suffer 
harm. 

"  He's  doin'  it  now,  the  baste,"  was  the  reply.  "  lie's 
tearin*  at  me  leg  like  a  bull  bedbug.  O  murder !  how  he 
bites  if  I  offer  to  stir." 

While  Pat  was  uttering  his  lamentations,  I  had  reached 
for  the  fallen  candle  and  found  it,  and  hastened  to  the 
fire  under  the  stills  and  relighted  it.  Then  I  lost  no  time 
in  returning  to  my  companions,  who  were  so  completely  in 
the  dark  that  they  could  not  move  until  I  joined  them. 

"Mind  the  powder,  honeys,"  cried  Pat,  as  soon  as  he  saw 
me  approach  with  the  candle.  "It's  but  one  touch,  and 
we  go  to  the  divil  together." 

We  approached  Rover's  prisoner,  and  saw  that  the  fellow 
was  securely  pinioned  by  the  leg.  He  was  on  his  hands 
and  knees,  and  had  endeavored  to  crawl  through  a  small 
hole,  not  more  than  two  feet  square,  close  to  the  ground, 
which  was  the  reason  we  had  missed  finding  it,  for  neither 
of  us  supposed  that  it  was  necessary  to  get  on  all  fours  to 
make  an  exit  from  such  a  place. 

We  took  hold  of  Pat's  feet,  and  jerked  him  into  the  cel 
lar,  and  as  we  did  so  the  secret  panel  shut  of  itself ;  but  we 
noted  the  place,  and  had  no  fear  but  that  we  could  find  it 
again  at  any  time,  even  if  Pat  was  disposed  to  play  us 
another  trick. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Yankees  now  ?  "  I  asked,  as  we 
made  Rover  relinquish  his  hold  of  the  man's  leg. 

"  Think  is  it  ?  "  demanded  Pat,  as  he  rubbed  the  plaoe 
where  the  dog's  teeth  had  been  planted.  "Faith,  I  think 
that  the  brute  is  the  smartest  of  the  lot.  He  cotched  ma 
whin  the  rest  of  yer  couldn't." 

"And  what  do  you  mean  by  cheating  us  in  tb  >  manner 
in  which  you  did?"  Fred  asked. 

"And  what  do  you  mane,  by  pourin'  water  down  me 
throat,  when  me  preference  is  for  whiskey  ? "  Pat  de« 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE. 

manded,  in  an  injured  tone.  "  You  have  ruined  me  con 
stitution,  and  I'll  never  recover  from  it.  It's  ice  I'll  be 
turned  to." 

"  We  have  no  time  to  fool  with  this  fellow,"  Murden  said, 
in  a  tone  of  impatience.  "  We  must  escape,  and  not  spend 
a  moment  in  talking  with  him.  The  Fenians  are  liable  to 
come  back  at  any  moment." 

"  Ye  may  well  say  that,"  responded  Pat,  in  a  complacent 
tcne.  "  And  if  they  do  come,  look  out  for  yerselves,  for 
they'll  prove  perfect  divils,  when  they  know  that  I  has  had 
water  poured  down  me  belly.  They  has  no  respect  for 
men  what  does  that,  now  I  tells  yer." 

"We  must  secure  and  gag  him,"  Murden  said.  "It 
won't  do  to  leave  the  fellow  at  liberty." 

"  Especially  wid  the  gunpowder,"  Pat  cried,  with  a  grin 
on  his  face,  which  proved  most  conclusively  in  my  mind, 
that  the  Irishman  had  blarneyed  us. 

Fred  went  to  the  barrel,  that  had  been  pointed  out  as 
containing  cartridges.  He  stooped  down,  and  then  raised 
the  barrel  and  placed  it  on  its  head.  As  he  did  so,  the 
end  fell  in,  and  revealed  pikes  and  spears,  and  a  few  bay 
onets,  rusty  and  old-fashioned. 

"  There  is  no  gunpowder  here,"  Fred  said  in  an  indig 
nant  tone. 

Pat  grinned,  and  scratched  his  head. 

"  It's  one  of  me  mistakes,"  he  said.  "  The  coold  water 
confused  me,  and  warped  me  judgment.  Sure  yer  ought 
to  be  satisfied  that  it's  iron  instead  of  powder,  for  if  it  had 
been  powder,  sure  yer  all  would  have  been  to  glory  afore 
this." 

While  Pat  was  speaking,  Murden  had  produced  some 
cords,  and  commenced  tying  the  fellow's  hands  behind  his 
back,  although  the  Irishman  uttered  the  most  indignant 
remonstrances  at  such  treatment.  But  little  heed  was  paid 
to  Pat's  words,  and  as  soon  as  his  arms  and  hands  were 
secured,  we  laid  him  on  his  back,  and  were  just  about  to 
stuff  some  rags  in  his  mouth,  when  we  heard  renewed  out 
cries  overhead,  a  heavy  tramping  of  feet,  several  discharge* 


88         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

of  muskets  and  pistols,  and  then  the  secret  panel,  by  which 
we  had  entered  the  cellar,  was  dashed  open,  letting  in  a 
flood  of  light,  and  down  the  slippery,  damp  stairs  came 
half  a  dozen  policemen,  with  wondering  looks  upon  their 
faces,  pistols  in  their  hands,  and  glances  that  seemed  to 
express  a  fear  that  some  trap  had  been  entered,  which 
would  cost  the  party  dearly. 

Following  the  police  came  half  a  dozen  soldiers  with 
muskets  in  their  hands,  and  after  the  soldiers  an  officer 
fcword  in  hand. 

We  saw  that  escape  was  impossible,  so  considered  the 
next  best  course  was  to  submit,  and  explain  matters,  as 
well  as  we  were  able,  to  those  in  authority,  and  thus  effect 
our  release  as  soon  as  possible  ;  but  to  prevent  all  mistakes, 
which  could  not  well  be  rectified  afterwards,  we  extin 
guished  our  light,  and  were  thus  left  in  darkness ;  but  at 
the  same  time  could  see  the  movements  of  the  police  and 
soldiers,  owing  to  the  door  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  being 
left  open. 

If  the  soldiers  had  seen  us  when  they  first  entered  the 
cellar,  it  is  quite  probable  that  they  would  have  given  us 
a  volley,  for  they  were  excited  over  their  contest  with  the 
Fenians,  and  cared  but  little  whom  they  fired  at,  as  long  as 
they  drew  blood.  We  knew  this  from  our  Australian  ex 
perience,  for  when  a  man's  blood  is  hot,  he  will  do  that 
which  will  make  him  feel  sorry,  as  soon  as  reason  resumes 
its  sway. 

We  blew  out  our  light,  therefore,  and  seated  ourselves 
on  sacks  of  grain,  and  awaited  the  result  of  the  soldiers' 
entrance  with  much  composure,  knowing  that  the  fellows 
would  soon  beat  up  our  quarters,  and  make  us  prisoners. 

Fred,  who  was  as  cool  as  the  night  he  whipped  the  bully 
of  Ballarat,  during  our  days  of  inexperience  in  Victoria, 
took  pity  on  Pat,  who  was  lying  at  his  feet,  and  removed 
the  gag  from  his  mouth  ;  but  while  he  was  thus  employed, 
the  Irishman  nipped  his  fingers  out  of  revenge  for  the  treat 
ment  which  he  had  received,  and  this  caused  Fred  to  utter 
an  exclamation  that  attracted  the  attention  of  the  invaders. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  89 

"Halt!"  cried  the  officer  in  command;  "some  of  tha 
el — d  rebels  are  in  the  cellar,  and  in  ambush.  Shoot  the 
first  one  who  shows  his  head."  . 

The  red-coats  came  into  line,  like  well-drilled  men  ready 
to  receive  a  charge  of  cavalry ;  but  the  police  were  to  wary 
for  such  needless  show,  and  the  instant  they  suspected  an 
ambush  and  a  surprise,  they  scattered  like  bushrangers,  and 
dropped  behind  arches  and  kegs,  until  only  their  noses 
could  be  seen,  as  they  were  poked  out  in  search  of  the 
whereabouts  of  an  enemy,  —  a  movement  simple  but  wise, 
and  one  that  commanded  the  greatest  respect  on  the  part 
of  Murden,  who  could  not  forget  that  he  had  been  a  po 
lice  commissioner,  and  had  had  dealings  with  cruel  men, 
cunning  as  foxes,  and  deadly  foes  of  the  mounted  "  traps," 
so  he  gave  vent  to  his  admiration  by  shouting, — 

"Well  done,  my  lads.  You  have  been  drilled  in  a  good 
school." 

"Who  speaks?"  cried  the  officer  who  had  charge  of 
the  party.  "Advance  and  surrender  yourselves,  or  the 
worse  for  you." 

"  It's  the  four  hed  sinters,"  yelled  Pat,  who  found  his 
voice,  as  soon  as  the  gag  was  removed.  "  Come  and  take 
Jem,  for  a  divil  a  fear  ye  need  have  of  'em." 

Fred,  who  remembered  his  bitten  fingers,  —  for  they  still 
smarted,  —  gave  the  Irishman  a  punch  with  his  foot;  but 
still  the  noise  continued. 

"  Advance  and  surrender,  if  you  would  have  quarter," 
cried  the  officer,  in  a  stern  tone.  "  Come  out  of  your  hid 
ing-places,  and  lay  down  your  arms,  or  my  men  will  not 
show  you  mercy." 

*  Don't  fear  'em,"  Pat  yelled.  "  Come  on  and  take  'em, 
and  don't  let  'em  escape.  They  is  without  guns  or  pistols, 
and  have  trated  me  in  the  most  scurvy  manner.  Filled 
me  body  wid  water,  in  fact,  when  lots  of  fine  whiskey  was 
round." 

"  Strike  a  light,  one  of  you  police  officers,"  commanded 
the  lhute~ant,  who  had  charge  of  the  party.  "Don't  skulk 


90  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN    EUROPE,    OB 

behind  barrels,  but  come  and  let  us  find  the  fellow  who 
is  yelling  so  lustily  about  head  centres." 

One  of  the  police  speedily  produced  a  lantern,  and 
threw  the  light  in  our  direction,  so  that  all  of  us  were 
revealed  to  the  gaze  of  the  exploring  party. 

"Move  a  hand  or  foot,  and  you  are  dead  men,"  the 
lieutenant  said,  in  a  tone  that  showed  he  was  in  earnest, 
and  how  much  he  distrusted  us. 

"How  can  we  advance  and  surrender  without  moving 
hand  cr  foot?"  asked  Murden,  with  a  laugh  that  did  not 
show  much  fear. 

"D n!  whose  voice  is  that?"  asked  the  lieuten 
ant,  starting  towards  us,  far  in  advance  of  his  soldiers,  as 
though  the  tones  of  Murden's  voice  had  awakened  recol 
lections  of  earlier  days. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A     STRANGE     MEETING. AN     OLD     ACQUAINTANCE. PAT 

AND    HIS    ACCUSATIONS. IN    THE    STREET. THE    BAB- 
RACKS.  THE    DESPATCH. 

THE  lieutenant  was  much  surprised  at  Murden's  voice, 
and  the  latter  seemed  far  from  astonished  that  such  was 
the  case.  He  appeared  to  act  like  a  man  who  knew  that 
affairs  would  come  out  all  right,  without  much  trouble  on 
his  part,  and  so  sat  still  and  smoked  a  cigar  with  an  air  of 
real  enjoyment  that  was  quite  provoking  to  us  who  were  in 
a  state  of  some  uncertainty  as  to  whether  we  should  get 
our  brains  beaten  out,  or  have  several  bullets  lodged  in 
our  bodies  by  the  infuriated  peelers  and  soldiers. 

The  police,  by  the  aid  of  the  dark  lanterns,  discovered 
our  position,  and  hastened  towards  us  as  soon  as  they  saw 
that  we  were  not  disposed  to  fight.  They  came  on,  pi* 


THE  DEAD    ALIV33.  91 

tols  in  hand,  and  with  handcuffs  all  ready  to  slip  upon  our 
wrists. 

"Hold  on  one  moment,  my  pretty  little  dears,"  said 
Murden,  when  the  peelers  would  have  placed  the  steel 
upon  our  hands.  "  Don't  be  so  fierce.  No  one  wants  to 
escape  or  resist.  If  we  had  desired  to  leave  this  gay  and 
pleasant  place,  we  could  have  done  so  some  time  since  — 
long  before  you  appeared  upon  the  scene." 

"  Don't  belave  him,"  yelled  Pat,  whose  limbs  were  now 
free ;  for  we  had  cut  the  ropes  that  bound  him.  "  They 
tried  to  lave,  but  I  prevented  'em,  and  now  claim  the  re 
ward  for  the  discovery  of  four  hed  sinters." 

"  Yes,  that  is  all  very  well ;  but  how  does  it  happen  that 
we  find  you  here,  Pat?"  one  of  the  peelers  said  —  a  ser 
geant,  who  seemed  to  know  the  Irishman's  face. 

"Faith,  how  should  I  come  here,  but  to  sarch  for  the 
•hed  sinters?  I  seed  'em  enter  the  cellar,  and  so  I  follows, 
to  keep  an  eye  on  'em,  so  that  I  could  rin  and  tell  your 
honors  the  fust  chance  I  had.  O,  I'm  a  true  blue  son  of 
Ireland,  and  loyal  to  the  backbone." 

"  D — n  such  loyalty  as  yours,"  was  the  response.  "  I 
know  your  face  too  well  to  believe  your  stories.  You 
can't  ring  in  here  for  a  reward,  now  I  tell  you.  If  these 
men  are  head  centres,  you  won't  stand  much  of  a  chance 
at  the  money  that  is  offered  for  them." 

"We  hope  not,  for  the  scamp  did  not  have  the  least 
hand  in  taking  us,"  Murden  said.  "All  the  reward  that 
is  received  for  us  must  go  to  the  brave  police ;  for  they 
have  shown  as  much  pluck  as  my  own  fellows  would  have 
done  had  they  been  hepe." 

"  You  hear,"  cried  the  police  sergeant  to  his  compan 
ions.  "  He  has  confessed  that  he  has  brave  accomplices. 
Recollect  his  words." 

"We  will,"  was  the  response. 

"And  swear  to  them,  I  suppose,"  Murden  said. 

"  Yes,  that  we  will,"  was  the  unanimous  response. 

"How  like  the  fellows  I  used  to  command!"  Murden 
muttered,  as  he  nodded  his  head  with  signs  of  approval. 


92         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

"Come,"  said  the  sergeant,  shaking  the  handcuffs.  "We 
have  no  time  to  lose.  You  must  go  with  us,  and  submit 
to  be  ironed." 

"That's  right.  Don't  let  'em  escape  yer  hands,  for  they 
is  slippery  spalpeens  as  ever  ye  did  see ;  and  the  dog  —  to 
the  devil  wid  him  —  knows  as  much  as  any  of  'em.  Faith, 
I  think  he  is  half  human.  At  any  rate  he  has  a  mighty 
fine  taste  for  beef,  and  tinder  at  that,  for  he  took  most  a 
pound  lump  out  of  the  calf  of  me  leg  when  I  tried  to  pre 
vent  the  hed  sinters  from  escaping." 

"  What  a  splendid  liar  this  fellow  is ! "  Murden  said. 
a  How  he  would  have  honored  our  Australian  corps !  He 
would  have  sworn  a  bushranger  off  his  feet  in  no  time,  if 
we-had  requested  him  to  do  so." 

In  the  mean  time,  while  we  were  thus  talking  with  the 
police,  and  endeavoring  to  devise  some  means  to  prevent 
our  hands  from  being  manacled,  the  soldiers  had  kept  in 
the  background,  the  lieutenant  in  charge  having  seated 
himself  on  a  keg,  and  appeared  to  listen  to  our  conversa 
tion  with  much  pleasure  and  interest.  One  thing,  how 
ever,  had  struck  me  with  surprise ;  and  that  was  the  fact 
that  Rover  was  making  friends  with  the  officer;  and  I 
Baw  the  dog  lay  his  paws  on  the  lieutenant's  shoulder,  and 
lick  his  face,  which  the  animal  never  did  to  any  one  unless 
on  good  terms  with  him. 

"  Come,"  cried  the  peelers,  who  began  to  grow  impatient 
at  our  delay  and  amazing  coolness;  "just  let  us  slip  on 
these  ornaments,  and  we  promise  you  that  they  won't  hurt 
in  the  least." 

"We  decline  the  ornaments,"  Murden  said.  "We  will 
go  with  you  as  quiet  as  lambs ;  but  as  we  have  committed 
no  crime,  we  must  protest  against  being  handcuffed." 

"  As  far  as  your  crime  is  concerned,"  said  the  sergeant, 
"others  must  judge  of  that  besides  me  and  my  mates.  We 
only  has  to  do  our  duty ;  and  if  we  is  a  little  rough,  you 
know,  you  must  blame  yerselves,  and  not  us,  'cos  we  would 
be  careful  if  you  would  let  us." 

The  sergeant  made  a  sign,  when  his  men  prepaied  to 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  93 

throw  themselves  upon  us,  much  to  Pat's  delight;  but 
just  as  we  expected  the  onset,  the  lieutenant  started  to 
his  feet,  pushed  Rover  aside,  and  came  towards  us. 

"  Hold  on  there  for  one  moment,"  the  officer  cried,  in  a 
calm  but  authoritative  tone.  "Don't  put  irons  on  these 
gent'emen.  I'll  be  responsible  for  their  good  conduct." 

"Hang  me  if  it  ain't  Maurice!"  cried  the  ex-commis 
sioner  of  police,  as  he  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  rushed  to 
wards  the  lieutenant ;  but  the  peelers,  who  thought  they 
saw  a  Fenian  trick  in  the  movement,  seized  Murden  by  the 
collar  of  his  coat,  and  held  him  fast. 

"  Release  that  gentleman,  this  instant ! "  thundered  the 
lieutenant.  "  How  dare  you  lay  hands  on  a  person  whom 
I  have  vouched  for  ?" 

The  peelers  removed  their  hands  from  Murden's  person 
in  an  instant,  and  manifested  all  that  abject  humiliation 
which  is  so  characteristic  of  a  British  civilian  when  brought 
in  contact  with  an  officer  of  the  army  who  bears  the  queen's 
commission. 

"  We  was  only  fearful  they  would  escape  us,  sir,"  the 
sergeant  of  the  police  force  said.  "  You  know  there  is  a 
reward  offered  for  'em,  and  we  is  entitled  to  it,  sir.  Here  is 
four  head  centres,  and  we've  took  'em  just  as  they  landed, 
and  afore  they  could  do  any  damage." 

"  Nonsense,  man  ;  you  don't  know  what  you  are  talk 
ing  about.  You  are  on  the  wrong  scent  entirely.  These 
gentlemen  are  no  more  head  centres,  or  connected  with 
Fenianism,  than  you  are." 

"  True  for  you,  Maurice,"  cried  Murden ;  and  then  the 
lieutenant  and  the  ex-commissioner  shook  hands  like  old 
friends,  and  as  though  they  were  really  glad  to  see  each 
other. 

In  the  mean  time  I  had  been  thinking  where  I  had 
heard  the  lieutenant's  voice  before,  but  could  not  make 
out.  It  was  familiar,  and  I  taxed  my  mind  to  recall  the 
time  and  circumstances  of  hearing  it,  but  could  not ;  so  I 
was  somewhat  surprised  to  see  Hopeful  rush  towards  the 
officer,  and  exclaim,  — 


94  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

? 

"Cuss  me  if  it  ain't  Maurice;"  and  then  Hez  hugged 
the  officer,  and  the  latter,  in  spite  of  his  red  coat,  sash, 
and  sword,  hugged  Hez  in  return. 

"Maurice,  old  fellow,  who  would  have  thought  of  see 
ing  you  here  ? "  Fred  said ;  and  then  he  rushed  towards 
the  lieutenant,  and  another  hugging  match  was  the  result 
of  the  meeting,  until  I  almost  suspected  that  the  soldier 
was  a  young  girl  disguised  as  a  man,  and  that  my  com 
panions  had  found  it  out  before  I  did,  which  was  some 
thing  wonderful,  for  I  generally  had  my  eyes  open  when 
a  pretty  face  was  near  me.  But  the  lieutenant's  face  was 
not  handsome  for  a  woman,  for  it  was  dark,  and  had  a 
black,  heavy  beard,  and  a  mustache  that  was  long  and 
eilky,  and  decidedly  warlike. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Jack,  ain't  you  glad  to  see  me  ?  "  asked  the 
lieutenant,  as  he  turned  towards  me,  with  extended  hand. 

"  If  I  could  only  recall  where  I  have  seen  you,"  I  said. 
"  Your  voice  sounds  familiar,  and  your  face  is  one  that  I 
have  not  forgotten.  Let  me  see;  was  it  in  —  " 

"  Australia,  old  fellow  ?  Yes,  it  was  in  Australia  where 
we  met,  and  where  we  parted.  Now  do  you  remember 
me?" 

I  rather  think  I  did.  We  had  been  together  too  many 
times  on  the  plains  and  in  the  bush  of  Victoria,  not  to 
recall  to  mind  some  of  his  dashing  exploits  when  he  served 
as  second  in  command  in  Murden's  flying  troop,  hunting 
after  escaped  convicts  and  desperate  robbers ;  and  the  only 
reason  why  I  had  not  recognized  the  gallant  fellow  in  the 
cellar  in  Queenstown  was  because  I  did  not  have  the  least 
idea  that  he  would  part  from  his  adopted  country.  If  any 
one  had  told  me  that  Maurice  was  in  Ireland,  taking  care 
of  suspected  Fenians,  I  should  have  laughed  at  the  idea, 
as  one  too  absurd  to  be  mentioned. 

In  a  moment  the  lieutenant  had  convincing  proof,  by 
the  warm  pressure  of  his  hands,  that  he  still  retained  a 
hold  of  my  affections. 

"Tell  me,"  I  taid,  "if  you  have  time,  and  can  converse 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  95 

with  your  prisoners,  how  it  happens  that  you  are  here, 
and  holding  a  commission  in  the  British  army." 

"Prisoners  be  hanged;  you  are  no  more  prisoners  than 
I  am.  As  for  holding  a  commission  in  the  army,  I  am 
indebted  to  our  mutual  friend  Murden,  who  aided  me  with 
his  influence.  Six  months  ago  my  regiment  was  ordered 
to  Ireland,  and  my  company  to  Queenstown.  Here  I  am, 
just  after  a  sharp  fight  with  the  rabble  in  the  streets ;  and 
by  accident  I  discovered  this  secret  still,  and  four  old 
friends  at  the  same  time.  What  more  could  man  desire, 
to  render  him  happy  and  contented  with  the  world?" 

"And  ain't  the  four  hed  sinters  to  be  taken  and  tried 
and  condemned  ?  and  ain't  I  to  have  some  of  the  money 
for  the  information  ?  "  asked  Pat,  who  was  amazed  at  the 
turn  which  affairs  had  taken. 

"You  shall  have  your  reward  —  never  fear,"  Lieutenant 
Maurice  replied. 

"Ah,  captain,  I  knew  ye  wouldn't  chate  a  hard-working 
man  like  me  out  of  me  own,"  Pat  said,  with  a  whine  that 
contrasted  in  a  striking  manner  with  the  assurance  which 
the  man  had  assumed  a  few  minutes  before. 

" Sergeant,"  cried  Maurice,  turning  to  the  police,  "this 
man  comes  in  your  line.  He  has  been  running  a  secret 
still ;  so  you  know  what  to  do  with  him.  I  turn  him  over 
to  you." 

"  Yes,  I'll  take  charge  of  him,"  was  the  response ;  and 
the  next  moment  Pat's  hands  were  secured  by  a  pair  of 
steel  bracelets,  much  to  his  surprise.  He  uttered  the  loud 
est  kind  of  protests,  but  no  one  paid  the  least  attention 
to  them. 

"And  these  gentlemen  — what  is  to  be  done  with  them?" 
asked  the  sergeant,  pointing  to  us. 

"  These  gentlemen  are  my  friends,  and  must  be  treated 
as  such.  Why,  man,  you  don't  suspect  they  are  Fenians 
—  do  you?"  Maurice  asked. 

"I  don't  know,  sir,  but  I  s'pose  it's  all  right,  sir,  if  yoi 
say  so;  though  I  heard  one  of  the  gentlemen  say  that 
he'd  just  coire  from  Australia,  and  that,  sir,  you'll  ackuowl- 


96  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IIST   EUROPE,   OR 

edge,  looks  a  little  suspicious  —  now  don't  it,  sir?  —  when 
so  many  ticket-of-leave  men  is  round,  makin'  disturbances." 

Maurice  laughed  most  heartily. 

"  Why,  man  alive,"  he  said,  "  this  gentleman,"  pointing 
to  Murden,  "  was  at  one  time  a  commissioner  of  police  in 
Australia,  and  was  recently  a  cabinet  officer,  and  stood 
high  in  the  estimation  of  the  governor." 

"  Glad  to  hear  it,  sir,  I'm  sure ; "  and  all  the  police 
touched  their  caps,  in  token  of  their  respect  for  one  who 
had  risen  to  so  high  a  position  from  the  force. 

"  Might  we  hear  the  gentleman's  name  ?  "  the  sergeant 
said.  "  Perhaps  it  is  known  to  us ;  for  all  great  men  are 
recollected  by  the  police." 

"Murden,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  I'm  sure  I  never  expected  this  honor,"  cried  the 
sergeant;  and  off  went  his  cap,  and  he  ducked  his  head  to 
our  friend.  "We  have  all  heard  of  the  celebrated  Mr. 
Murden,  the  commissioner  who  had  command  of  the 
mounted  police.  Indeed,  sir,  we  have  your  portrait,  cut 
from  an  illustrated  paper,  pasted  on  our  walls  at  the  station- 
house  ;  and  I  must  confess  that  the  likeness  is  remarkable. 
Quite  wonderful,  sir." 

"And  these  gentlemen,"  said  Maurice,  pointing  to  Fred, 
Hopeful,  and  myself,  "  were  his  constant  companions  and 
aids  in  all  dangerous  enterprises." 

"  Ah,  we  have  heard  of  'em,  sir,"  the  sergeant  remarked, 
with  a  bow  and  a  chuckle,  as  he  rubbed  his  hands.  "  We 
read  The  Gold  Hunters,  and  The  Bushrangers,  when  they 
wer3  published  in  England,  and  don't  forget  all  that  we 
rea6s.  Never  expected  to  meet  such  distinguished  gen 
tlemen  in  such  a  place  as  this,  I  am  sure." 

Of  course  we  acknowledged  the  compliment,  and  then 
Pat,  who  saw  that  he  could  hope  for  no  aid  at  the  hands 
of  the  police  of  Queenstown,  burst  out  with, — 

"Ah,  now,  is  it  possible  that  men  what  I  took  for  hed 
sinters  is  nothin'  but  snakin'  peelers,  come  all  the  way  from 
Australia  to  suck  poteen  and  pour  water  down  me  throat  ? 
O,  blood  and  zounds  I  when  I  think  of  the  manner  in 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  97 

which  I  have  been  chated  by  these  impostors,  it  seems  as 
though  the  water  which  is  in  me  would  turn  to  ice,  and 
fraze  me  bowels  and  what  compassion  I  had  in  'em.  Ah, 
cap'n,  if  ye  knew  how  much  of  the  whiskey  they  had 
drunk,  ye  would  ax  the  queen  to  pay  for  it.  They'd  ruin 
the  best  still  in  Ireland,  if  they  had  free  run  of  it." 

Of  course  no  one  paid  the  slightest  attention  to  Pat's 
words,  for  the  simple  reason  that  he  was  not  believed. 
We  were  too  sober  to  corroborate  his  assertion,  and  the 
fellow,  finding  that  we  were  not  molested  on  his  state 
ment,  was  about  to  attempt  another,  when  Maurice  in 
terfered. 

*'  We  have  heard  enough  of  your  blarney,"  he  said. 
"  You  can  do  my  friends  no  harm,  and  yourself  no  good. 
Keep  your  mouth  shut,  and  you  will  fare  better  than  if  it 
is  opened  too  much." 

"And  don't  you  want  a  witness?"  asked  the  fellow. 
"I  can  testify  as  to  who  run  the  still,  and  on  other  mat 
ters  that  will  make  the  queen's  friends  stare.  O,  I  know 
a  hape,  I  do." 

Maurice  turned  from  the  fellow,  disgusted  at  his  treachery, 
and  then  the  police,  who  delighted  to  meet  with  just  such 
customers,  took  charge  of  Pat,  and  we  heard  no  more  of 
him  for  some  time. 

"Come,"  said  the  lieutenant,  "let  us  move  from  this 
place.  We  have  no  further  business  here." 

"Can  we  get  through  the  streets?"  Fred  asked. 

"My  men  will  make  a  way  for  you,"  the  officer  said, 
with  all  the  pride  of  a  Briton  with  unlimited  power  at 
his  back.  "My  soldiers  are  not  in  the  habit  of  being 
frightened  by  mere  numbers,  any  more  than  their  com 
mander  is.  Come ;  I'll  leave  a  few  men  to  take  charge 
of  the  still ;  if  I  do  not,  it  will  disappear  in  a  wonderful 
manner,  as  soon  as  our  backs  are  turned.  We  must  retain 
possession  of  the  prize,  although  every  Irishman  in  the 
neighborhood  will  swear  vengeance  against  me  for  doing 
my  duty." 

"Perhaps  we  had  better  leave  the  cellar  without  your 
7 


98  THE    GOLD    HUNTEliS    IN    EUKOPE,    OK 

corr /any,"  Murden  suggested.  "You  may  escape  tome 
annoyance  if  it  is  thought  that  we  are  not  under  arrest.51 

"It  is  better  for  you  if  it  is  supposed  that  I  have  you 
in  charge,"  the  lieutenant  said,  in  a  significant  manner. 
"Once  have  it  understood  that  we  are  on  friendly  terms, 
and  all  the  oaths  ever  uttered  in  Ireland  could  not  con 
vince  some  of  the  half  savages  that  all  of  you  have  not 
turned  informers;  and  an  informer  is  something  ti*t  is 
hated  beyond  all  expression.  Death  is  not  too  good  for 
all  who  blab  of  the  doings  of  the  Fenians." 

We  knew  that  as  well  as  he,  and  so  concluded  to  go 
with  him  in  the  seeming  capacity  of  prisoners,  knowing 
that  we  might  escape  being  knocked  over  by  stones  or 
stray  shots  while  on  our  way  to  the  jail  or  hotel. 

When  we  reached  the  upper  surface  of  the  ground,  we 
found  the  soldiers  drawn  up  in  line  in  front  of  the  house. 
There  were  about  one  hundred  of  them  —  stout,  tough, 
well-disciplined  fellows,  who  seemed  to  care  but  little  for 
the  crowd  of  excited  men  who  were  in  front  and  rear 
of  them,  apparently  all  ready  for  an  attack,  yet  without 
weapons  to  compete  with  the  rifles  with  which  the  sol 
diers  were  armed. 

As  soon  as  we  appeared  in  sight,  the  mob  uttered  such 
a  series  of  discordant  howls  that  it  seemed  as  though 
Borne  of  them  had  gone  mad  with  rage  and  indignation. 

"  There  they  are ! "  was  the  general  cry.  "  Look  at  the 
brave  hed  sinters,  and  see  'em  prisoners  in  the  hands  of 
the  tyrants.  Down  wid  the  sogers,  and  up  wid  the  Feni 
ans!  Long  life  to  the  'Mericans  what  come  over  here  to 
lend  us  a  helpin'  hand  ! " 

While  the  crowd  were  cheering  and  yelling,  some  of 
them  made  a  rush  as  if  to  break  through  the  line ;  but 
the  soldiers  brought  their  rifles  to  the  charge,  and  the 
Irishmen  saw  before  them  a  long  line  of  bayonets  which 
meant  business ;  so  when  the  Fenians  were  almost  im 
paled,  they  would  stop,  utter  fierce  curses  and  cries  for 
vengeance,  and  then  retreat  out  of  reaoh  of  those  who 
held  such  deadly  weapons. 


THE    BEAD    ALIVE.  99 

"Don't  attempt  to  get  through  such  an  excited  crowd," 
Murden  said  to  Maurice.  "  I  fear  that  trouble  will  ensue. 
Send  for  reinforcements  if  you  have  them,  and  if  not,  wait 
until  the  crowd  disperses." 

"  And  let  the  fellows  think  that  they  have  frightened 
British  soldiers,  and  so  give  them  courage  to  make  bolder 
demonstrations?  No,  that  is  not  my  style  of  doing  busi 
ness.  I'll  not  yield  them  an  inch  as  long  as  I'm  in  com 
mand  of  a  company."  And  he  was  as  good  as  his  \*  ord ; 
for  the  next  moment  he  was  addressing  the  crowd,  and  for 
a  wonder  they  listened  to  him  in  silence,  and  did  not  even 
throw  a  stone  at  him,  showing  that  some  respect  was  still 
entertained  for  a  commissioned  officer. 

"My  friends,"  Maurice  said,  "I  want  to  give  you  a  word 
of  advice,  and  I  hope  you  will  take  it.  I  have  but  the 
most  friendly  feelings  for  you,  and  therefore  don't  want  to 
hurt  you  if  I  can  help  it.  But  you  must  understand  me, 
and  I  mean  what  I  say  when  I  tell  you  that  I  intend  to 
take  these  gentlemen  to  the  barracks,  and  when  they  are 
there  they  will  dine  with  me,  and  help  empty  a  bowl  of 
real  Irish  punch,  made  from  the  best  whiskey  that  can  be 
found  in  Queenstown.  Now,  my  good  friends,  don't  get 
in  my  way,  for  if  you  do,  some  of  you  will  get  hurt." 

Some  of  the  listeners  cheered  at  his  words,  and  others 
maintained  a  stern  silence.  At  any  rate,  Maurice's  speech 
had  done  no  harm,  and  we  had  no  expectation  of  trouble 
when  we  fell  into  line  and  marched  towards  the  barracks 
with  a  soldier  on  each  side  of  us,  and  a  surging  crowd  in 
front  and  rear. 

To  be  sure  we  heard  hard  words  and  some  loud  threats, 
and  many  of  the  Fenians  urged  each  other  to  rush  in  and 
secure  the  head  centres  from  the  power  of  the  English 
tyrants;  but  the  firmness  of  the  soldiers  and  the  dread 
of  their  rifles  prevented  any  concentrated  attack  on  our 
column,  and  we  reached  the  barrack  quarters  with  no 
other  damage  than  such  as  results  from  stones  and  sticks, 
and  one  or  two  dead  cats,  when  aimed  at  a  man's  head 
with  all  the  force  of  a  strong  arm. 


100        THE  GOLD  HUNTEES  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

As  we  marched  into  the  soldiers'  quarters,  the  gatel 
were  closed,  and  the  Fenians  were  left  in  the  streets,  to 
shout  until  they  were  tired  of  such  fun,  and  then  disperse 
until  some  new  excitement  claimed  their  attention.  I 
must  confess  that  I  was  glad  to  feel  that  I  was  in  a  place 
of  comparative  "safety,  for  I  was  sick  of  hearing  hoarse 
ehouts,  and  seeing  stones  fly  through  the  air. 

"Now,"  cried  Maurice,  as  the  soldiers  were  dismissed, 
and  the  guards  doubled,  "  we  will  have  some  dinner,  and 
I  hope  that  you  will  enjoy  it.  We  have  finished  our  fun 
for  the  day.  All  danger  is  past,  and  we  can  have  a  long 
evening  to  talk  of  Australia  and  old  times." 

We  had  no  objection  to  such  a  course,  and  were  just 
about  to  enter  the  mess-room  for  the  purpose  of  being 
introduced  to  the  lieutenant's  brother  officers,  when  an 
orderly  placed  a  telegraphic  despatch  in  Maurice's  hand. 
Our  friend  read  the  despatch,  and  a  look  of  vexation 
passed  over  his  face. 

"  The  devil ! "  he  said,  and  stamped  his  foot  with  im 
patience. 

"What  is  it,  Maurice?"  asked  Murden. 
"  Somebody  has  telegraphed  to  the  lieutenant-governor 
that  four  noted  head  centres  have  been  arrested,  just  as 
they  landed  from  the  steamer,  and  I  am  ordered  to  for 
ward  them  to  Dublin,  under  a  strong  escort,  without  the 
least  delay.    Was  there  ever  anything  more  unfortunate?" 
"  Why  not  telegraph  that  we  are  not  Fenians,  but  friends 
of  known  loyalty  to  government?" 

"  I  will ;  but  it  won't  make  a  particle  of  difference,  as 
you  will  see.  Government  is  so  suspicious,  that  no  one's 
word  is  relied  on  unless  a  lord  is  ready  to  vouch  for  char 
acter.  But  cuss  me  if  you  start  for  Dublin  until  to-mor 
row  morning,  even  if  the  governor  does  want  your  pres 
ence.  I'll  first  try  what  an  explanation  will  do;"  and  off 
went  the  despatch,  while  we  washed  and  got  ready  for 
dinner.  We  made  some  little  change  in  our  toilets,  hav 
ing,  to  our  surprise,  found  all  the  baggage  which  we  had 
brought  ashore  safely  housed  in  the  barracks,  where  it  bad 


THE    DEAD    ALIVS.  10l' 

been  placed  6y  the  police  after  their  struggle  with  the 
Fenians  on  the  shore. 

We  all  sat  down  to  dinner,  half  a  dozen  officers  and  our 
party,  and  had  just  commenced  on  the  soup,  when  a  tele 
graphic  despatch  from  the  lieutenant-governor  was  brought 
in  and  read  aloud  by  Maurice. 


CHAPTER  X. 

ORDERED  TO  DUBLIN.  —  THE  WARNING.  —  THE  MYSTERI 
OUS  VOICE.  —  OFF  FOR  DUBLIN.  —  DRUNKEN  SOLDIERS. 
THE  FENIANS  AGAIN. 

"  JUST  listen  to  this,  boys,"  Maurice  said,  as  he  held  the 
despatch  in  his  hand,  "  and  hear  what  his  excellency  says 
about  our  prisoners." 

His  brother  officers  were  all  attention  in  a  moment. 
There  were  several  of  them,  and  they  had  made  us  feel  at 
home  as  soon  as  Maurice  had  explained  to  them  who  we 
were,  and  that  we  had  no  connection  with  Fenianism, 
which  they  seemed  to  detest  with  all  their  hearts. 

"  The  governor,"  continued  Maurice,  "  seems  to  run  away 
with  the  idea  that  we  have  been  deceived  in  the  estima 
tion  of  our  friends,  for  he  telegraphs  to  me  to  send  on  the 
prisoners  without  the  least  delay,  and  under  a  strong 
escort,  so  that  escape  shall  be  impossible.  He  says  he 
js  certain  that  we  secured  the  right  men,  and  that  we  must 
not  let  them  play  a  Yankee  trick  on  us  by  believing  what 
they  say." 

"  The  lieutenant-governor  is  not  complimentary  to  our 
sagacity,"  Maurice  remarked,  as  he  folded  up  the  despatch ; 
"but  then  he  is  a  suspicious  man  and  hates  the  Fenians, 
as  the  devil  is  supposed  to  hate  holy  water." 

"  Maurice,"  Murden  said,  "  you  know  your  duty,  and  we 


:  :THJ:  .'GjOLrC  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 


know  yom  feelings.  Don't  endanger  your  position  for  one 
moment  by  keeping  us  with  you.  Once  in  Dublin,  we  can 
explain  to  his  excellency  that  we  are  innocent  of  all  de 
signs  upon  his  kingdom." 

"  Hang  me  if  you  shall  leave  until  you  have  dined,  and 
finished  a  bowl  of  punch,"  the  lieutenant  remarked,  in  a 
sulky  tone,  and  one  that  showed  he  was  in  earnest  ;  so, 
after  he  had  given  a  few  orders  for  our  departure,  we  once 
more  renewed  our  attention  to  the  dinner,  and  had  a  lively 
time. 

When  cigars  were  passed  around,  I  had  occasion  to 
step  to  the  door  of  the  mess-room  for  a  moment,  just 
to  get  a  breath  of  fresh  air  ;  and  while  I  was  looking 
at  the  barrack-yard,  I  felt  some  one  touch  me  on  the 
arm. 

Turning,  I  saw  one  of  the  servants  who  had  waited 
upon  the  table.  He  laid  a  finger  on  his  lips,  and  then 
slipped  a  piece  of  paper  into  my  hand,  and  the  next  mo 
ment  was  gone. 

With  my  back  to  the  mess-room  I  unfolded  the  paper, 
and  found  the  following,  written  in  pencil:  — 

"  Head  Centres  :  Don't  despair  of  a  rescue.  There  are 
more  Fenians  in  Ireland  than  were  killed  or  wounded 
to-day,  and  they  will  shed  their  blood  to  prove  to  the  head 
centres  of  America,  that  patriotism  is  still  in  bloom  in  Ire 
land.  Keep  your  eyes  open  and  trust  to  the  brotherhood. 
Destroy  this  as  soon  as  read,  and  be  assured  that  careful 
eyes  are  watching  your  movements.  You  have  already 
deceived  the  soMiers,  and  made  them  think  that  you  have 
no  sympathy  with  Fenianism.  Still  wear  the  mask,  and 
all  will  be  well  in  time." 

The  note  was  not  signed  or  directed  to  either  of  us.  I 
turned  to  find  the  man  who  had  handed  me  the  paper. 
He  was  not  in  sight.  I  glanced  around  the  mess-room. 
No  one  was  looking  at  me,  or  taking  the  slightest  notice 
of  my  movement.  -  A  few  yards  from  whore  I  stood,  half 
3,  dozen  soldiers  were  lounging,  and  discussing  the  events 
of  the  day  ;  but  they  did  not  look  towards  me,  or  poem  to 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  103 

be  aware  of  my  presence ;  but  for  all  that,  I  was  just  as 
certain  that  some  one  was  watching  me  as  I  was  that  I 
had  eaten  a  hearty  dinner,  and  therefore  no  longer  felt 
Hungry. 

Slowly  I  tore  the  paper  into  the  most  minute  fragments, 
and  then  scattered  some  of  the  pieces  in  the  yard,  while 
full  one  half  of  them  I  put  in  my  pockets,  to  be  tbrown 
away  in  another  direction. 

Then  the  thought  came  uppermost  as  to  what  I  should 
do  in  the  present  emergency.  Had  I  better  reveal  all 
to  Maurice,  and  so  let  him  be  well  prepared  for  coming 
events,  or  had  I  better  remain  quiet  and  consider  the  note 
as  so  much  bombast?  It  was  evident  that  the  Fenians 
still  considered  us  as  head  centres,  and  had  relied  on  my 
honor  not  to  expose  the  correspondence.  Under  the  cir 
cumstance  I  resolved  not  to,  but  to  let  events  take  their 
own  course.  We  had  been  arrested  as  -Fenians,  when  we 
had  not  a  Fenian  idea ;  and  now  we  could  not  turn  against 
the  rebellious  subjects  of  the  queen,  and  betray  them  just 
at  a  time  when  they  thought  we  were  in  danger,  and 
needed  aid. 

With  a  firm  resolve  to  keep  the  matter  of  the  note  a 
secret,  I  returned  to  the  table,  and  once  more  joined  in 
conversation,  and  continued  it  until  near  dark,  when  Mau 
rice  declared  that  he  could  delay  no  longer,  but  must  for 
ward  us  to  Dublin  by  the  seven  o'clock  train,  and  then  re 
solved  to  accompany  us,  and  see  if  he  could  not  explain 
matters  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  lieutenant-governor,  who 
was  known  to  be  a  fair-minded  sort  of  man,  though  a  timid 
one,  and  terribly  afraid  that  the  Fenians  would  send  him 
to  London  in  a  great  hurry,  some  fine  morning. 

My  companions  received  Maurice's  announcement  with 
a  shout  of  delight;  but  I  thought  of  the  note  which  I  hnd 
received,  and  did  not  respond  with  that  enthusiasm  which 
I  should  have  done  under  other  circumstances.  However, 
do  one  noticed  my  silence. 

"Yes,"  said  Maurice,  "I  can  run  up  to  Dublin  to-mghc, 
and  tome  back  in  the  morning.  A  few  words  from  me, 


104        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

personally,  will  set  his  excellency  all  right,  I  know ;  and  if 
I  can't,  why,  we  must  remind  him  that  a  member  of  tha 
Australian  cabinet  is  before  him." 

"An  ex-member,"  hinted  Murden,  in  a  gentle  tone,  as 
though  he  still  wished  that  he  was  in  office. 

"  Well,  just  as  you  please,  although  I  know  that  the  peo 
ple  of  Victoria  will  not  allow  your  valuable  services  to  be 
dispensed  with  for  any  length  of  time.  When  you  return 
ar.  office  will  be  open  to  you." 

"Thank  you,  Maurice  ;  but  I  fear  you  are  too  partial  to 
be  a  good  judge  of  my  merits;"  and  tfcen  we  all  laughed, 
for  we  recollected  some  shrewd  movements  of  Murden's 
when  holding  the  office  of  commissioner,  and  dealing  with 
obstinate  bushrangers  who  refused  to  impart  valuable  in 
formation. 

In  a  few  minutes  after  we  left  the  table  we  were  ready 
to  start  for  Dublin.  The  train  was  to  leave  at  seven 
o'clock,  and  a  special  car  had  been  ordered  by  Maurice  for 
our  accommodation  and  those  who  accompanied  us,  some 
half  a  dozen  soldiers,  with  muskets,  so  as  to  keep  up  an 
appearance  of  force,  in  case  any  one  should  be  rash  enough 
to  interfere  with  our  movements. 

Just  as  we  were  about  to  start  for  Cork,  where  we  were 
to  take  the  cars,  a  stout,  plain-dressed  man  entered  the 
mess-room.  Maurice  seemed  glad  to  see  him,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  ask  him  questions. 

"What  is  the  news  in  town?"  the  lieutenant  demand 
ed.  "How  do  the  people  feel  after  the  taste  of  our 
quality  ?  " 

"  Sullen,"  was  the  answer.  "  They  feel  more  like  killing 
Englishmen  than  ever.  The  Fenians  are  active  in  town, 
and  mean  mischief  some  time  or  other.  Better  ask  for 
more  men,  and  keep  them  on  the  alert,  or  a  surprise  may 
be  effected  in  some  part  of  the  town,  or  at  Cork.  If  the 
fellows  had  arms  they  would  not  wait  many  hours  for 
deliberation." 

"I  know  it,  Brady;  but  the  fact  of  it  is,  they  haven't 
the  arms ;  so  we  can  well  afford  to  treat  their  threats  witb 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  109 

contempt,"  replied  Maurice,  with  that -confidence  which 
aiways  distinguished  liim  in  Victoria. 

"But  they  can  sting,  sir,  they  can  sting,  and  they  will, 
the  first  opportunity,"  Mr.  Brady  replied.  "  I  know  their 
feelings,  for  I  have  been  in  their  midst.  They  do  not  talk 
as  loud  as  they  might,  and  as  I  could  wish,  but  still  I  know 
enough  to  he  sure  that  they  mean  mischief." 

I  remembered  the  paper  which  had  been  thrust  into 
my  hand,  and  wondered  what  Mr.  Brady,  who  was  an 
experienced  English  detective,  stationed  at  Queenstown, 
would  think  if  he  had  read  it.  It  was  evident  that  the 
detective  expected  trouble,  but  did  not  know  when  or 
where  it  would  strike. 

"The  people,"  said  Mr.  Brady,  taking  the  glass  of  wine 
that  was  offered  him  by  the  lieutenant,  "are  firmly  per 
suaded  that  you  have  secured  the  persons  of  four  head 
centres  from  the  United  States." 

"You  know  better  than  that,  Brady?"  Maurice  said. 

"  Well,  yes,  sir,  I  should  think  I  did.  I  learned  all  about 
'ern  from  the  boat's  crew  that  brought  them  ashore.  They 
gave  me  full  particulars ;  and  I'm  just  as  well  satisfied,  sir, 
that  these  gentlemen  have  nothing  to  do  with  Fenianism 
as  I  am  satisfied  that  I  have  finished  my  wine,  sir." 

"  Help  yourself  to  some  more.  Of  course  you  intimated 
that  these  gentlemen  were  not  head  centres." 

"  Of  course,  sir ;  but  when  an  idea  enters  an  Irishman's 
head,  it  is  hard  work  to  eradicate  it,  sir." 

"  Yes,  I  know ;  but  what  conclusion  does  that  lead 
you  to?" 

"  This,  sir.  The  leaders  of  the  Fenians  have  an  idea 
that  the  gentlemen  who  landed  from  the  steamer  to-day 
have  brought  enough  gold  and  bills  of  exchange  to  pay 
off  the  national  debt  and  give  every  Fenian  leader  a  large, 
fortune  with  which  to  commence  life  and  the  new  republic 
at  the  same  time." 

"  The  d— d  fools." 

"  True  for  you,  sir ;  but  still  the  fellows  believe  it,  and 
nothing  can  convince  them  that  tl*«  «  are  mistaken ;  corise- 


106  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,    IB 

quently  they  will  fight  hard  for  the  possession  of  the  men 
who  have  so  much  money  to  throw  away  on  so  many 
worthless  objects.  It  is  the  gold  they  want,  and  the  gold 
they  will  have,  if  it  is  to  be  obtained ;  so  let  me  advise 
you,  sir,  to  take  a  strong  escort  with  these  gentlemen  to 
the  cars,  or  else  let  them  go  without  a  guard,  so  as  not  to 
excite  suspicion  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  on  the 
watch." 

"I'll  take  your  advice,  Brady,  for  I  think  it  is  good. 
I'll  send  the  soldiers  to  the  cars  singly,  and  let  my  friends 
go  in  the  same  manner.  In  the  mean  time,  let  it  be  given 
out  that  the  four  gentlemen  will  remain  here  for  the  pres 
ent  as  prisoners,  but  that  they  will  be  discharged  in  the 
course  of  time,  as  no  proof  of  their  connection  with  the 
Fenians  can  be  found." 

"Yes,  sir,  I  will  cause  such  a  report  to  be  circulated, 
and  hope  that  it  will  do  some  good,  although  I  have  my 
doubts."  Mr.  Brady  moved  towards  the  door,  but  a  sud 
den  thought  entered  his  mind,  causing  him  to  return. 

"I  heard  a  faint  rumor,  sir,"  he  said,  "that  the  Fenians 
would  attempt  a  rescue  somewhere  between  Cork  and 
Dublin ;  but  I  could  not  trace  the  rumor  to  any  responsi 
ble  source ;  so  do  not  think  that  there  is  much  truth  in  it. 
Still  it  is  best  to  be  prepared  for  anything,  sir,  for  there 
is  no  knowing  what  the  fellows  may  be  up  to.  They  are 
in  earnest,  and  mean  business ;  so  a  few  broken  heads  won't 
amount  to  much  in  their  ranks." 

The  detective  then  left  us  to  do  some  more  of  his  dan 
gerous  work.  The  conversation  which  he  had  carried  on 
with  Maurice  had  not  been  overheard  by  a  single  persrn 
in  the  room  except  our  party  and  the  lieutenant;  and, 
although  some  of  the  servants  had  been  engaged  in  clear 
ing  the  table,  they  had  not  heard  a  word  that  was  uttered, 
for  the  reason  that  all  conversation  was  carried  on  in  a 
whisper. 

"  I  wish,"  said  Fred,  in  a  low  tone,  "  that  we  were  once 
more  safe  on  board  the  steamer.  I  would  agree  not  to 
trouble  Ireland  for  a  long  time." 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  107 

u  So  would  I,"  was  my  response,  as  I  thought  of  Miss 
Goldthwaite  and  her  black  eyes  and  coquettish  ways, 
pleasant,  yet  at  the  same  time  rather  heart-rending. 

"I  fear  that  we  shall  meet  with  trouble  on  the  route,* 
Fred  continued,  still  speaking  in  a  whisper. 

"  Have  you  had  a  warning  ? "  I  asked,  as  I  thought  of 
iny  own. 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  thinking  if  I  shall  mention  the  matter 
to  Maurice,  or  keep  quiet,  as  I  have  been  requested  to." 

"As  a  friend,  we  should  warn  him.  He  goes  with  us 
•jn  our  account,  and  you  know  how  we  would  feel  if  any 
disaster  should  happen  to  him." 

"  True ;  and  so,  in  spite  of  the  warning  to  keep  secret, 
I  will  tell  the  lieutenant  all  that  I  have  heard  and  read. 

"Better  not,  if  ye  plase,"  some  one  whispered,  close  at 
our  elbows,  in  Irish  brogue,  but  in  a  strange  tone  of  voice 
—  one  that  we  had  not  heard  during  the  day. 

Both  of  us  turned  to  look  for  the  man  who  had  spoken, 
in  tones  that  appeared  threatening,  even  if  they  were 
uttered  in  a  whisper. 

To  our  surprise,  no  one  was  near  us.  There  were  sev 
eral  servants  in  the  room,  but  they  were  at  work  clearing 
the  table,  so  could  not  have  been  near  us  when  we  were 
consulting  together  and  whispering. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  we  are  surrounded  by  spies,"  mut 
tered  Fred,  in  a  tone  of  vexation  that  showed  how  much 
he  was  annoyed  at  the  idea  of  being  surprised  at  any 
thing.  "  I  wish  that  the  devil  had  them  and  their  Fenian- 
ifcm  at  the  same  time,  if  we  have  got  to  mix  up  in  it." 

"  Speak  to  Maurice  about  it,"  I  said.  "  Perhaps  he  can 
understand  the  business  better  than  ourselves." 

tt  Don't  you  do  it,"  was  whispered  close  to  us  —  so  close 
that  it  seemed  as  though  we  could  feel  the  warm  breath 
of  the  owner  of  the  voice  on  our  cheeks. 

A  quick  turn  and  a  look  in  all  directions,  and  once  more 
we  found  ourselves  at  fault.  The  waiters  were  not  even 
near  us,  and  the  one  who  was  nearest  was  engaged  in 
packing  the  phtes  in  the  mess-chest,  with  his  back  toward* 


108       THE  GOLD  UUNTEKS  IN  EUKOPE,  OB 

us,  and  so  could  not  have  been  heard  had  he  chosen  to 
whisper  a  warning  in  our  ears. 

" Maurice,"  said  Fred,  "can  you  rely  en  the  men  who 
are  to  accompany  us  as  an  escort?" 

He  spoke  in  so  low  a  tone  that  even  Murden,  who  was 
smoking  a  cigar  and  standing  near,  could  not  hear  tho 
conversation. 

"  O,  yesr ;  they  have  been  with  me  for  two  years  in  the 
Bame  company,  and  are  considered  Fenian  proof.  Why 
do  you  ask  ?" 

"  Because  I  believe  that  you  and  the  barracks  are  sur 
rounded  by  spies." 

"  O,  I  guess  not,"  was  the  careless  reply.  "  The  Fenians 
take  good  care  to  keep  out  of  the  reach  of  soldiers  and 
barrack-yards." 

"But  what  would  you  say  if  we  should  report  that  we 
have  had  warnings  of  an  attempt  at  rescue  this  very  night?" 
demanded  Fred. 

"  I  should  say,  my  dear  boys,  that  some  one  has  been 
making  a  desperate  attempt  to  humbug  you  —  that  is  all." 

"And  you  disbelieve  all  warnings  which  purport  to  come 
from  our  would-be  friends?" 

"  No,  not  all,  for  I  know  the  Irish  character,  and  how 
desperate  it  is  at  times.  But  at  the  present  moment  I  do 
not  think  there  is  danger,  for  we  taught  the  Fenians  a 
lesson  this  day  that  they  will  remember  for  some  time  to 
come.  My  boys  did  not  spare  them  when  they  were  told 
to  use  their  muskets  or  their  bayonets ;  so  I  have  the  most 
convincing  proof  of  their  fidelity." 

"And  you  don't  suppose  for  a  moment  that  the  soldiers 
would  turn  on  us  if  a  crisis  should  arise?" 

"No,  I  will  not  harbor  such  a  thought  for  a  moment; 
and  I'll  tell  you  the  reason  why.  All  those  who  were 
inspected  of  Fenianism,  or  who  were  Catholics,  or,  in  fact, 
were  Irishmen,  were  weeded  from  my  company  before  it 
was  stationed  here ;  so  I  have  only  Englishmen  to  deal 
with  and  command." 

The  explanation  was  satisfactory,  but  still  we  did  not 


TIIE    DEAD    ALIVE.  109 

feel  quite  as  much  confidence  as  the  lieutenant,  knowing 
that  human  n  at  a  re  is  weak,  and  that  all  soldiers  have  a 
large  amount  of  it  stowed  away  under  their  knapsacks 
and  beneath  their  cross-belts. 

We  gave  up  the  argument,  and  then  received  directions 
how  to  proceed  to  find  the  cars.  We  did  not  desire  to 
take  cabs,  or  a  jaunting  car,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
they  would  have  attracted  too  much  attention  from  the 
people,  had  they  been  seen  leaving  the  barrack-gate,  while 
we  supposed  that  we  could  walk  through  the  streets,  and 
thus  escape  all  notoriety. 

We  started.  Fred  and  I  led  the  way,  and  after  us,  a 
few  rods  in  the  rear,  came  Harden  and  Hopeful,  while 
following  them  was  Maurice,  in  citizen's  clothes,  and  with 
watchful  eyes  for  our  safety.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
street,  under  the  charge  of  a  corporal,  were  six  soldiers, 
who  marched  as  though  they  were  off  duty,  and  had 
nothing  particular  to  do. 

A  few  indignant  natives  of  Queenstown  groaned  at  the 
soldiers,  but,  as  a  general  thing,  no  notice  was  taken  of 
them  or  us,  until  we  were  half  a  mile  from  the  barracks, 
when  some  blundering  fellow,  who  appeared  to  be  two 
thirds  drunk,  stumbled  against  us,  and  would  have  fallen 
to  the  ground  and  rolled  into  the  gutter,  if  Fred  had  not 
caught  him  in  his  arms,  and  helped  him  to  regain  his  feet. 

"  Now  then,  old  fellow,"  said  Fred,  in  a  kind  tone,  as  he 
steadied  the  inebriate,  "  are  you  sure  that  you  are  all  right 
if  I  let  go  of  you?" 

"Am  I  sure  that  I  am  all  right?"  repeated  the  man; 
and  then,  while  he  was  swaying  back  and  forth,  I  noticed 
that  he  looked  at  us  in  a  manner  that  did  not  resemble 
the  dull  glance  of  a  drunkard. 

"  Well,"  repeated  Fred ;  "  are  you  sure  that  you  are  all 
right  if  I  let  you  go  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man,  in  a  tone  that  seemed  to  me  to  be 
lignificant;  "now  I'm  sure  I'm  all  right." 

"Then  go  home."  And  as  Fred  gave  this  advice,  he 
released  hiinj  but,  instead  of  obeying,  the  fellow  drew 


110  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN    EUROPE,  OB 

back  and  made  several  passes  with  his  hands  and  arras— • 
signs  after  the  freemason  pattern ;  but  we  could  not  inter 
pret  them  quite  as  readily  as  we  could  the  masonic  passes, 
for  the  reason  that  we  had  never  been  initiated  in  the 
mysteries  of  the  Fenian  brotherhood. 

"What  in  the  devil  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Fred, 
who  saw  that  the  man  waited  for  some  responses. 

"And  what  do  you  mane?"  the  man  responded,  "by 
not  givin'  me  the  grand  hailin'  sign  in  return  for  what 
I've  showed  yer?  Faith,  ye  can  trust  me  if  ye  are  hed 
sinters.  Devil  a  fear  of  me,  now  I  tell  yer." 

"  Go  to  thunder,"  responded  Fred  and  I,  simultaneously. 

"Faith,  let  me  have  a  clutch  at  the  goold  that  ye  brought 
over  wid  yer  from  'Meriky,  and  I'll  go  enywhere,  and  fight 
all  the  red-coats  in  Ireland.  Don't  fear  to  trust  me,  I  tell 
yer,  for  I'm  one  of  'em." 

Just  at  this  moment  the  fellow  caught  sight  of  Maurice, 
and  seemed  to  know  him,  for  his  drunken  look  returned  to 
his  face,  and  soon  found  its  way  to  his  legs,  and  off  he 
went,  staggering  like  any  other  inebriate  ;  and  I  must  con 
fess  that  we  met  several  more  before  we  reached  the  cars. 

We  found  that  the  last  car  had  been  reserved  for  us, 
while  the  one  before  it  was  used  by  the  soldiers.  There 
were  but  few  passengers  that  evening,  I  recollect,  and 
those  were  slouchy  sort  of  men,  with  hats  drawn  over 
their  eyes,  as  though  they  did  not  care  to  be  known  to 
their  most  intimate  friends.  They  took  first-class  passage, 
and  were  in  the  compartments  just  in  front  of  the  soldiers. 

"Hadn't  you  better  have  those  fellows  in  with  us?" 
asked  Murden,  as  the  soldiers  took  their  places  in  the 
compartment. 

"There  is  no  room,"  was  the  reply.  "The  compart 
ment  will  only  accommodate  six  persons,  and  here  we 
navQ  the  six,"  replied  Maurice,  with  a  laugh. 

"No,  only  five,"  said  Murden. 

"Then  you  don't  count  Rover  anything;  and  yet  the 
old  dog  ia  equal  to  half  a  dozen  men."  And  Murden 
pulled  his  ears,  and  the  hound  returned  ,he  caress  by 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  Ill 

placing  his  paws  on  the  ex-commissioner's  shoulders,  and 
licking  his  face,  as  a  proper  tribute  of  respect  for  being 
noticed. 

We  entered  the  car  with  certain  misgivings  that  we 
should  not  have  a  pleasant  journey ;  and  perhaps  Maurice 
felt  so,  for  he  went  to  his  men  and  spoke  to  them  in  a  low 
tone,  and  then  joined  us,  and  all  of  our  party  commenced 
(smoking  as  if  for  a  wager. 

An  hour  passed,  and  then  we  heard  the  soldiers  in  the 
next  compartment  singing.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  more 
they  were  howling,  and  from  howling  they  commenced 
quarrelling. 

"Your  men  have  been  paying  too  much  attention  to 
whiskey,"  Murden  said.  "  I  fear  they  would  be  useless  in 
an  attack  to-night." 

The  lieutenant  seemed  to  feel  mortified ;  for,  while  he 
did  not  answer,  he  made  several  attempts  to  open  the 
door  of  the  carriage,  so  that  he  could  walk  along  the  sido 
and  communicate  with  his  men.  But  the  door  was  locked, 
and  the  guard  was  not  to  be  seen. 

Then  Maurice  called  to  his  men ;  but  they  did  not  hear 
him,  or  if  they  did,  took  no  notice  of  his  voice  or  commands. 

"  D — n  the  fellows,  they  are  getting  drunk  as  fast  as  pos 
sible,"  muttered  the  indignant  lieutenant. 

u  They  can't  get  much  drunker,"  Murden  said,  in  reply ; 
and  just  at  that  moment  the  train  commenced  to  slacken 
its  speed,  and  the  car  almost  stopped,  although  I  could  not 
hear  the  brakes,  or  see  the  guard  at  work. 

"We  are  now  near  —  " 

Maurice  had  proceeded  so  far,  when  the  car  stopped 
with  a  sudden  jerk,  as  though  some  obstruction  had  been 
placed  on  the  track. 

"  What  in  the  devil  is  the  meaning  of  this?"  asked  the 
lieutenant;  and  then  the  answer  was  returned  in  the  shape 
of  a  shout,  and,  on  looking  out,  we  saw  that  we  were  once 
more  in  the  hands  of  the  Fenians ;  for  the  car  had  been 
separated  from  the  train,  and  the  latter  had  gone  on  ami 
left  us. 


112       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IX  EUROPE,  OB 


CHAPTER  XL 

SURROUNDED    BY   FENIANS. THE     SEARCH    FOR     GOLD.—* 

A   DISAPPOINTMENT. MAURICE   IN    DANGER. FRED  TO 

THE    RESCUE. A    SIGNAL. 

THE  Fenians  made  no  attempt  to  disguise  themselves, 
and  did  not  seem  to  care  a  pin  for  the  soldiers,  who  were 
shouting  and  singing  in  the  next  compartment,  and  did  not 
appear  to  be  aware  that  the  car  had  stopped,  or  that  their 
natural  enemies  were  surrounding  them. 

I  looked  out  of  the  window,  and  could  have  sworn  that 
I  saw  men  who  entered  the  cars  at  Cork.  I  knew  them 
by  their  slouched  hats  and  gray  coats,  confined  around 
their  waists  by  belts  and  ropes.  Half  a  dozen  of  the  fel 
lows  had  torches  in  their  hands,  and  as  the  night  was  dark, 
and  the  place  where  the  car  stopped  dreary  enough,  a 
mass  of  bog  and  waste,  the  scene  looked  rather  wild  and 
none  too  pleasant,  somewhat  reminding  me  of  the  night 
when  our  carts  were  stopped  by  bushrangers  on  the  banks 
of  the  River  Murray,  in  Victoria,  and  when  we  escaped 
from  the  hands  of  the  robbers  through  mere  pluck  and  im 
pudence. 

Perhaps  we  were  surprised ;  but  if  we  were,  we  dete  r- 
mined  not  to  let  the  Fenians,  or  whoever  they  were,  dis 
cover  it,  but  to  take  matters  as  we  found  them,  and  make 
the  best  of  it. 

But  if  such  was  our  secret  determination,  Maurice,  like 
a  bluff  English  soldier,  had  come  to  another  conclusion,  and 
showed  fight  like  the  brave  man  that  he  was;  and  as  soon 
as  the  people  wjno  surrounded  the  car  uttered  a  yell  of 
satisfaction  at  the  result  of  their  strategy,  Maurice  grew 
hot  with  indignation,  and  of  course  wanted  to  fight  at 
once ;  but  while  he  was  in  the  act  of  drawing  his  revolver 
Murden  stopped  him. 

"  Don't  yo    do  it,  old  fellow,"  the  ex-commissioner  said, 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  113 

in  a  low  tone,  "  The  fellows  outnumber  us  four  to  one. 
They  have  all  the  advantage ;  so  we  had  better  submit,  and 
see  what  they  propose  to  do." 

"And  I  hear  such  advice  from  you  —  do  I  ?  "  asked  Mau 
rice,  a  little  bitterly ;  "  you  who  never  shrank  from  odds 
in  Australia,  at  least  while  I  was  under  your  command, 
and  made  no  more  of  charging  two  to  one  than  I  should 
of  dispersing  the  Fenians  who  surround  us." 

"Ah,  Maurice,"  replied  the  careful  ex-commissioner, 
"don't  you  know  that  I  carried  amoral  influence  with  me, 
as  well  as  brave  men  each  side  of  me,  when  I  undertook 
a  rash  act  in  the  bush  of  Victoria  ?  " 

"  And  I,  too,  have  brave  men  with  me.  In  the  next 
compartment  are  seven  soldiers  armed  with  rifles,  who  will 
fight  to  the  death." 

"  So  they  would,  Maurice,  if  they  were  reasonable  be 
ings,  but  just  at  the  present  time  they  ain't.  Hark!  do 
you  hear  that  drunken  roar?  Since  we  left  Cork  your 
men  have  been  tampered  with,  and  now  they  don't  know 
their  commanding  officer  from  a  Fenian.  Don't  call  upon 
your  men,  for  if  you  do  you  will  be  disappointed  and  mor 
tified.  I'll  warrant  you  that  they  have  not  a  charge  of 
ball  and  powder  in  their  boxes,  and  that  their  rifles  are  un 
loaded.  Some  one  has  been  smart  enough  to  look  out  foi 
that." 

While  the  conversation  was  going  on,  in  a  low  tone,  the 
Fenians  seemed  undecided  how  to  act,  or  what  course  they 
should  pursue.  To  be  sure  they  cheered  and  waved  their 
torches,  and  some  of  them  flourished  muskets  and  pistols, 
but  they  did  not  offer  violence  to  us  or  the  soldiers.  Onco 
in  a  while  some  one  would  cry  out  for  three  cheers  for  the 
'Merican  hed  sinter? ;  but  I  noticed  that  the  distinguished 
gentlemen  from  tht  United  States  did  not  create  that  ex 
citement  which  one  would  naturally  expect. 

"Three  cheers  for  the  hed  sinters'  goold  !  "  was  the  cry 
of  some  practical  Fenian,  who  knew  the  substantial  from 
the  weak  —  the  rea.  from  the  ideal  —  who  wanted  the  9-i.h 
itance,  and  not  the  shadow. 
8 


114  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN    EUROPE.,     )R 

At  this  there  was  a  loud  laugh,  and  some  one  shouted,— 

"  Ah,  Barney,  it's  the  goold  ye  care  for  more  than  liberty 
for  Ireland." 

"  Faith,"  replied  the  sage,  "give  me  goold,  and  it's  lit 
tle  I  care  for  things  that  I  can't  buy  wid  it.  Plenty  of 
goold  is  liberty,  and  the  Jack  of  it  is  slavery  and  toil." 

"True  for  you,  Barney,"  was  the  cry;  and  then  some  one, 
who  appeared  to  be  a  man  of  authority,  sprang  into  their 
midst,  and  began  to  make  his  presence  felt. 

"  What  in  the  devil's  name  do  ye  mane  by  staifding  here 
idle  when  there's  work  to  be  done,  and  no  time  to  lose 
about  it,  to  be  sure?  Don't  ye  know  that  the  palers  will 
be  down  on  ye  in  a  special  train  as  soon  as  they  suspect 
foul  play?  Open  the  doors  and  let  the  gintlemen  out, 
and  let's  see  what  we've  got." 

I  recollected  the  man  as  soon  as  I  had  caught  sight  of 
his  form  by  the  aid  of  the  torches.  It  was  Big  Mike,  the 
man  whom  we  had  met  for  the  first  time  in  the  cellar 
where  the  whiskey  still  was  concealed,  and  the  one 
whom  Pat  said  owned  the  place  and  machinery. 

Big  Mike  seized  a  torch  as  he  spoke,  and  sprang  to  the 
side  of  the  car,  and  got  upon  the  platform  that  ran  fore  and 
aft  so  that  the  guard  could  collect  the  tickets  from  the  pas 
sengers.  The  window  was  down,  and  into  it  he  thrust  the 
smoking  torch,  so  that  he  could  see  our  faces. 

"  Well,  gintlemen,  we  has  met  again,  ye  see,  and  once 
more  I'll  do  the  honors  for  ye,  if  ye  has  no  objections. 
You  see  that  the  Fenians  of  Ireland  can  do  some  work 
even  if^they  is  surrounded  by  tyrants;"  and  then  his  eyes 
fell  upon  Maurice,  and  he  leered  at  our  friend  as  if  he  did 
not  mean  him  any  good  will. 

"Ah,  lieutenant,  it's  little  ye  though:  that  ye  would  see 
me  in  command  of  more  men  than  there's  sojers  in  Queens- 
town  or  Cork  —  now  did  ye?" 

"  Mike,"  said  Maurice,  "  you  had  better  let  us  alone,  and 
go  your  way  before  you  give  much  trouble.  If  I  call  upon 
my  men  to  fire,  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

"  Bah,  lieutenant !  yer  men  is  all  drunk  and  asleep.    O 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  115 

we  took  good  care  to  look  arter  'em  as  soon  as  w*  left 
Cork.  They  took  to  the  whiskey  like  laches,  and  loved  it 
better  than  their  mothers'  milk.  But  I  has  no  time  to 
yaste  in  blarney,  lieutenant.  You  has  some  friends  of 
mine,  and  I  want  'cm." 

"They  have  no  desire  to  go  with  you,  Mike;  so  let  U3 
alone,"  Maurice  replied. 

"  What !  "  cried  Big  Mike,  with  a  laugh,  "  do  you  'spose 
111  at  four  hed  sinters  from  'Merica  don't  want  to  see  their 
own  dear  friends  afore  they  take  sarvice  wid  the  queen  ? 
Ah,  lieutenant,  ye  has  done  me  and  mine  damage  enough 
for  one  day,  in  killin'  one  of  me  friends,  in  takin'  another, 
and  seizin'  the  best  secret  still  in  the  south  of  Ireland. 
Don't  offend  me  by  say  in'  that  these  gintlemen  don't  want 
to  lave  yer  company  and  go  wid  us ;  for  ye  know  that 
Ireland  isn't  free  just  yet,  and  we  need  all  the  strength  that 
we  can  get." 

"Look  you,  Mike,"  Fred  said;  "we  tell  you,  once  for  all, 
that  we  are  not  head  centres  of  the  Fenian  organization, 
and  we  never  had  anything  to  do  with  it,  never  intended 
to  ;  so  let  us  alone." 

"  Faith,"  returned  Mike,  with  another  grin  that  was  far 
from  pleasant  to  look  at,  "  I  don't  blame  yer  for  talkin'  the 
way  ye  do  as  long  as  a  queen's  officer  is  near  yer;  but  I 
don't  think  ye  need  fear  him  just  now;"  and  the  fellow 
winked  one  of  his  fierce-looking  eyes,  as  though  he  meant 
mischief  of  some  kind,  and  I  really  began  to  think  that 
our  friend  was  in  danger  of  his  life,  as  I  knew  that,  if  the 
Irish  passions  of  hate  were  once  stirred,  blood  or  some 
act  :>f  cruelty  alone  would  allay  them. 

If  the  Fenians  meant  to  ill-use  Maurice,  what  could  we 
do  to  save  him,  provided  we  -had  the  power?  These 
thoughts  flashed  across  my  mind  while  Big  Mike  stood  at 
the  window,  grinning  at  us;  and  I  know  that  Fred  thought 
of  the  same  thing,  for  he  told  me  so  afterwards.  As  far 
as  defence  was  concerned,  we  were  powerless.  All  of  our 
arms  were  on  board  of  the  steamer,  and  the  most  that  we 
had  in  our  pockets  were  small  penknives.  Even  if  we  had 


116       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE.  OB 

been  armed  with  pistols,  we  should  have  fared  rather  hard, 
for  the  reason  that  while  we  could  not  have  killed  but  a 
few,  had  they  extinguished  their  torches,  they  would  have 
had  good  marks  at  us,  locked  up  as  we  were  in  the  car. 
All  of  these  considerations  induced  us  to  keep  quiet,  and 
see  if  a  stout  denial  would  not  get  us  through. 

"  Who  has  an  axe  ?  "  asked  Big  Mike,  after  he  had  ex 
pressed  his  opinion  of  our  frankness,  although  he  thought 
it  evasion.  "  Ye  must  come  out  of  this ;  and  it's  unfortu 
nate  that  the  guard  has  taken  the  key  wid  him.  I  can't 
ax  sich  honorable  gintlemen  as  hed  sinters  from  'Merica  to 
crawl  out  of  the  winder;  so  I'll  smash  the  door,  and  very 
quick,  too,  I'll  do  it.  Who  has  an  axe  ?  " 

One  was  put  in  his  hands.  The  burly  fellow  threw  hia 
torch  to  the  ground,  and  then  hacked  away  at  the  door  of 
the  car  with  the  axe.  Half  a  dozen  blows  accomplished 
his  object.  The  door  was  torn  from  its  hinges  and  thrown 
to  the  ground,  and  then  a  wild  waving  of  torches  ensued 
as  we  were  requested  to  walk  out  of  the  compartment 
and  meet  our  friends  who  had  assembled  to  do  us  so  much 
honor. 

"  Look  to  the  dog,"  cried  Murden,  as  we  left  the  car  in 
accordance  with  the  invitation  of  the  wild  Fenians. 

The  warning  came  none  too  soon,  for  Rover  had  some 
how  got  it  into  his  head  that  the  men  who  were  shouting 
and  waving  torches  were  enemies,  and  must  be  looked 
after,  and  he  had  settled  it  in  his  own  mind  that  he  was 
just  the  one  to  do  it.  I  need  hardly  say  that  he  would 
have  fared  quite  badly  in  the  crowd  had  he  made  an 
attack  on  them;  but  still  he  would  have  made  his  mark 
before  the  Irishmen  despatched  him,  or  did  him  much 
Larm. 

Seeing  that  she  dog  was  excited,  I  stepped  back  and 
held  him  by  his  collar,  while  my  companions  passed  out. 

"Rover,"  I  said,  speaking  to  the  animal  just  as  though 
he  was  a  human  T)eing  and  blessed  with  reasoning  powers, 
wwe  are  in  a  bad  lix;  but  fighting  won't  help  us  just  now; 
io  \»e  a  good  dog,  and  don't  show  your  teeth  until  I  tell 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  117 

you  to.  Wden  I'm  ready  we  can  go  in  and  do  our  best; 
but  not  until  then.  Do  you  understand?"  and  I  patted 
his  massive  h  >ad  and  made  him  look  me  in  the  face. 

He  uttered  a  subdued  howl,  as  though  he  thought  I 
was  putting  him  to  a  severe  test;  but  I  could  see  that  he 
promised  compliance  by  the  way  in  which  he  wagged  his 
tail  and  tried  to  lick  my  face. 

"  There's  one  more,"  cried  Big  Mike,  as  he  counted  my 
friands  after  they  had  alighted. 

"  Here's  the  other,"  I  cried,  as  I  sprang  from  the  car, 
followed  by  the  dog. 

The  Fenians  gathered  around  us  so  that  we  could  not 
escape  had  we  been  so  disposed;  and  the  wild-looking 
peasants  stared  at  us  and  examined  us  from  head  to  foot, 
as  though  we  were  made  of  different  material  from  them 
selves. 

"Now  out  with  the  bags  and  boxes,"  Big  Mike  said,  in 
a  tone  that  showed  how  much  he  was  pressed  for  time. 

Two  or  three  of  the  wild  peasants  sprang  into  the  car, 
and  seemed  to  be  looking  for  our  luggage. 

"  Out  with  it ! "  roared  Mike. 

"Faith,  there's  none  here,"  was  the  cry. 

Mike  uttered  a  howl  of  rage,  and  jumped  into  the  com 
partment  which  we  had  just  left.  In  an  instant  he  re 
appeared,  and  I  saw  anger  and  disappointment  on  his  rough 
face. 

"  Where's  yer  luggage  ?  "  he  yelled. 

"In  the  van  with  the  rest  of  the  stuff,"  Maurice  an- 
Fwered. 

Big  Mike  uttered  such  a  hearty  curse  that  I  thought 
the  air  was  filled  with  brimstone. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  ye  to  look  after  it  afore  all  things  ?  "  he 
roared.  "Didn't  I  say  that  it  was  the  luggage  as  much  as 
the  hed  sinters  ihat  we  wanted  ?  What  in  the  devil's 
name  is  the  good  of  a  hed  sinter,  even  if  he  does  come 
from  'Meriky,  unless  he  has  goold  to  back  him,  and  pay  us 
who  is  sufferin'  and  doin'  the  work  ?" 

A   murmur   of  applause    from  those   who  were   nea* 


118  THE   GOLD    HtJNTEKS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

enough  to  listen,  as  though  they  sympathized  with  a  man 
who  had  expected  much  for  some  hard  work,  and  yet  had 
been  cheated  out  of  pay  in  some  manner  that  was  not  quite 
comprehensible. 

"  Is  this  yer  doiu's  ?  "  cried  Mike,  as  he  sprang  from  the 
car,  and  came  towards  us.  "  Did  ye  put  the  luggage  away 
on  purpose  ?  " 

Maurice  was  about  to  make  a  reply  that  would  have  fur 
ther  enraged  the  ruffian,  but  I  pressed  his  arm  and  kept 
him  quiet. 

"  Look  here ! "  said  Fred,  in  a  tone  that  he  could  assume 
when  an  excess  of  dignity  was  required;  "how  dare  you 
talk  to  us  in  this  manner?  Who  do  you  take  us  to  be, 
one  of  your  workmen,  or  gentlemen  who  are  visiting  Ire 
land  for  pleasure?  Be  assured  that  Stevens  shall  hear  of 
your  conduct  as  soon  as  we  can  communicate  with  him." 

"  I  care  more  for  the  goold  than  I  do  for  James  Stevens 
or  all  the  hed  sinters  in  Ireland,"  Mike  said,  in  a  dogged 
tone.  "I've  lost  my  still,  and  I  must  have  money  enough 
from  siome  one  to  pay  for  it." 

"And  you  would  let  the  cause  of  Ireland  suffer,  would 
you,  just  because  you  can't  make  more  money  in  selling 
whiskey?  This  is  not  the  kind  of  Fenianism  that  we 
expect  to  meet  with  in  Ireland.  In  New  York,  Irishmen 
give  up  all  for  the  sake  of  the  cause,  and  you  grumble  be 
cause  you  have  missed  our  luggage.  It  would  do  you  no 
good  if  it  was  here,  for  not  a  penny  should  you  handle." 

"  And  how  could  you  help  yourselves  ?  "  Mike  asked,  in 
a  sneering  tone. 

"By  appealing  to  these  brave  fellows  to  stand  by  us," 
t  lid  Fred,  and  turned  to  the  crowd  of  wild-looking  wretches 
^ho  surrounded  us,  as  though  confident  that  they  would 
assist  us  in  case  we  required  help. 

"  D n,"  muttered  Murden.  "  Fred  is  doing  all  that 

he  can  to  make  us  Fenians.  What  does  he  mean?" 

"  Hush  ! "  I  replied.  "He  sees  a  way  for  us  to  escape,  and 
is  trying  his  best  to  work  out  a  path  that  leads  to  safety. 
Let  him  alone,  and  see  how  he  comes  out." 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  119 

The  "brave  fellows"  began  to  think  that  they  were  of 
some  account,  for  they  commenced  murmuring  that  Big 
Mike  was  not  going  to  take  the  bread  out  of  their  mouths ; 
and  that  the  hed  sinters  from  'Meriky  were  not  to  be 
treated  with  disrespect,  for  they  had  come  to  free  Ireland, 
and  the  boys  would  stand  by  them. 

Mike  heard  the  cries  and  knew  what  they  meant.  He 
smothered  his  rage  as  best  he  could,  and  then  adopted  a 
different  style  of  proceeding. 

"  Well,  boys,  don't  look  at  me  as  if  I  was  a  thief,  'coz  I 
ain't  that,  and  no  man  in  the  crowd  can  say  so,  and  spake 
the  truth.  If  I  wanted  the  goold,  it  was  so  I  could  take 
charge  of  it  for  ye,  and  share  wid  ye ;  for  to  whom  does 
it  belong  but  to  those  who  run  all  the  risks  ?  and  show 
me  a  lot  of  boys  what  has  done  more  for  Ireland  and  th  5 
cause  than  those  who  is  now  near  me." 

"  True  for  you,  Mike,"  was  the  approving  reply ;  and 
then  we  saw  that  for  the  moment  Mike  had  a  portion  of 
the  Fenians  with  him. 

But  he  had  had  a  warning,  and  so  concluded  to  let  us 
alone  for  a  while,  and  turn  his  attention  to  the  soldiers, 
who  were  sleeping  in  the  compartment. 

Ever  since  we  had  left  the  car,  Maurice  had  endeavored 
to  get  near  his  men  and  hold  some  communication  with 
them  ;  but  the  Fenians  had  prevented  this,  not  by  actual 
force,  but  had  surrounded  us  in  such  a  manner  that  we 
could  not  leave  the  circle,  strive  as  hard  as  we  might.  If 
we  crowded  one  way,  they  would  crowd  in  another,  and 
manage,  by  waving  their  torches,  to  either  singe  our  heads 
or  make  us  relinquish  our  purpose. 

There  wat  no  occasion  to  smash  open  the  door  of  the 
compartment  in  which  the  soldiers  were  confined.  Some 
one  had  managed  to  open  it  while  the  cars  were  in  motion, 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the  men  with  liquor ;  and 
when  the  crowd  waved  their  torches  and  laughed  at  the 
position  of  the  soldiers,  we  saw  that  they  had  swallowed 
some  drug  with  their  whiskey,  for  they  vere  lying  in  all 


120        THE  GOLD  UUNTEES  IX  EUROPE,  OE 

directions,  heads  and  feet  together,  utterly  regardless  of 
their  trust. 

"  The  slapin'  beauties,"  shouted  one  man,  as  the  door  of 
the  compartment  was  opened,  and  the  position  of  the  sol 
diers  was  seen. 

"The  seven  slapers,  more  like,"  cried  another;  and  then 
there  was  a  laugh,  in  which  all  joined. 

"  Faith,  if  I  had  my  way,  they  would  slape  the  slape  that 
knows  no  wakin',"  muttered  a  brutal-looking  fellow,  close 
to  Maurice's  elbow,  and  with  a  glare  at  the  officer  that 
meant  murder  if  it  meant  anything  at  all. 

In  an  instant,  Maurice  had  the  ruffian  by  the  throat,  and 
was  shaking  him  with  the  strength  of  a  giant. 

"Dog,"  cried  the  rash  officer,  in  a  tone  that  meant  mis 
chief,  "  how  dare  you  threaten  a  queen's  officer,  or  her 
men?" 

In  an  instant  there  was  an  intense  excitement,  for  the 
Fenians  crowded  around  us  to  see  what  was  going  on,  and 
to  take  a  part  in  the  contest  in  case  there  was  a  free  fight. 

The  burly  ruffian  was  so  much  surprised  that  for  a  mo 
ment  he  allowed  himself  to  be  shaken ;  but  recollecting 
that  his  companions  would  laugh  at  him  if  the  thing  con 
tinued,  and  that  he  would  lose  all  prestige  as  a  bully  if 
whipped  by  one  man,  he  managed  to  tear  himself  from 
Maurice's  grasp,  and  to  retreat  several  feet,  as  if  for  the 
purpose  of  recovering  his  scattered  senses,  and  then  renew 
the  fight.  But,  instead  of  rushing  on  the  officer  with  some 
display  of  the  manly  art  of  self-defence,  the  scamp  drew  a 
knife  from  his  bosom  and  bounded  towards  our  friend. 

It  was  a  critical  period  for  Maurice  and  his  life.  lie 
was  never  so  near  death  and  yet  so  easily  avoided  it;  for 
in  one  instant  he  would  have  been  impaled,  had  not  Fred's 
presence  of  mind  saved  him. 

As  the  bully  rushed  on  the  lieutenant,  a  long,  murderous 
weapon  upraised  to  give  it  more  force  when  it  struck  the 
victim's  body,  Fred  rapidly  took  his  measures  to  save  a 
friend's  life.  Out  went  one  of  his  feet  —  an  old  trick  of  his 
in  Australia;  and  as  the  ruffian  blundered  on,  he  stumbled 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE. 

©ver  the  foot  and  fell  headlong  to  the  ground,  burying  the 
weapon  in  the  earth,  and  bruising  his  nose  at  the  same 
time,  and  in  such  a  manner  that  blood  spirted  out  in  all 
directions. 

An  Irishman  is  as  fond  of  a  joke  as  any  people  in  the 
world ;  so  I  was  not  surprised  to  hear  the  crowd  roar  when 
the  ruffian  missed  his  aim  and  brought  misfortune  on 
himself. 

"Whoop,  but  Paddy  is  fond  of  the  airth,  for  don't  you 
Bee  that  he  is  kissin'  it  with  his  mouth  and  smeller,"  cried 
the  wit  of  the  party ;  and  then  there  was  another  laugh, 
which  did  not  add  to  Paddy's  good  temper,  for  he  sprang 
to  his  feet  with  a  roar,  his  face  stained  with  blood,  and  hia 
eyes  resembling  those  of  a  demon  more  than  a  man's. 

With  a  shout  and  a  horrible  imprecation,  Paddy  once 
more  rushed  to  the  charge,  for  he  had  not  yet  been  pun 
ished  enough  to  keep  him  quiet. 

But  this  time  Fred  determined  to  use  a  different  mem 
ber  than  his  foot.  He  saw  that  it  was  time  for  action,  and 
not  for  sport;  and  as  the  ruffian  came  on  with  his  hands  up, 
a  knife  in  one  of  them,  and  the  other  like  a  wild  beast's 
claw,  my  friend  let  him  have  a  blow  between  his  eyes  that 
would  have  staggered  an  ox,  had  it  received  it  on  the  nose. 

Paddy  dropped  like  a  man  shot  dead  with  a  bullet 
through  his  heart,  and  he  did  not  move  for  a  moment  aftei 
he  touched  the  ground. 

I  do  not  know  what  would  have  been  the  consequences 
of  the  blow,  in  that  wild  crowd,  if  we  had  not,  just  as  Paddy 
struck  the  earth,  heard  the  shrill  whistle  of  a  locomotive, 
showing  that  the  car  had  been  missed,  and  that  the  train 
was  backing  up  to  find  it.  The  signal  was  the  sign  for  a 
commotion  among  the  Fenians,  and  they  showed  that  they 
intended  to  do  something  without  delay. 


122        THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IN  EUEOPE,  OB 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A     LONG     TEA.MP. A     CAVE     IN     THE     MOUNTAINS.  —  A 

PROPOSITION. THE    REFUSAL. 

As  Boon  as  Big  Mike  heard  the  whistle  of  the  approach 
ing  train,  he  passed  out  the  rifles  of  the  sleeping  soldiery 
and  then  followed  them,  and  gave  his  orders  in  a  hurried 
manner,  as  if  aware  that  time  was  becoming  valuable. 

"Look  to  the  gintlemen,"  he  said,  "and  mind  that  they 
is  taken  care  of  at  all  risks.  The  rest  of  yer  scatter,  and 
devil  a  soul  of  you  know  what  was  done  this  night.  If 
there  is  a  man  what  lisps  a  whisper,  he  will  be  found  and 
dealt  with,  even  if  he  should  be  guarded  by  the  whole  of 
the  queen's  men.  Go,  now,  and  don't  waste  yer  time  in 
Btoppiri'  here  to  see  what  others  is  doin'." 

Some  of  the  gossoons  did  not  seem  disposed  to  move 
as  fast  as  Big  Mike  would  like ;  so  he  adopted  the  novel 
process  of  running  at  them,  and  striking  to  the  right  and 
left,  hitting  some  severe  blows  before  the  fellows  could  get 
out  of  his  way.  But  the  violent  means  seemed  to  result 
in  dispersing  the  crowd  quicker  than  the  mild  methods, 
for  I  noticed  that  some  of  the  Fenians  took  to  their  heels 
and  ran,  disappearing  in  the  darkness  as  though  quite 
familiar  with  that  section  of  the  country. 

For  a  moment  we  had  great  hopes  of  escaping  from  our 
dear  friends  during  the  confusion  ;  but  we  soon  found  that 
the  men  who  surrounded  us  were  determined  that  we 
should  be  looked  after,  for  they  gave  us  no  chance  to  get 
out  of  their  way.  We  were  the  head  centres  of  attrac 
tion,  and  could  not  escape  notice. 

The  sound  of  the  whistle  grew  louder  and  louder.  The 
engine  could  not  have  been  more  than  two  miles  from  us 

O 

when  Big  Mike  returned  from  his  task  of  driving  off  the 
hangers-on  of  his  army. 

"Now  then,"  he  said,  "look  alive.     Gintlemen,  we  must 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  123 

hurry  you  a  little,  to  get  rid  of  our  friends  who  are  in  the 
train.  Come  on  wid  'em  to  the  old  place." 

There  was  no  help  for  it  but  to  obey.  We  tramped 
along  in  the  darkness,  over  some  very  indifferent  roads, 
through  bogs,  where  the  water  was  up  to  our  ankles,  not 
meeting  a  soul,  and  all  the  time  preserving  the  utmost 
silence,  not  a  loud  word  being  spoken  while  we  were  ou 
the  march. 

But  we  did  some  grumbling,  and  that  wretched  Hez, 
who  was  not  fond  of  romance  unless  a  pretty  girl  was 
concerned,  uttered  more  than  one  emphatic  oath  when 
he  found  that  his  feet  were  getting  wet,  and  that  Ire 
land's  bogs  were  working  into  his  boots.  More  than  once 
the  Fenians  cautioned  Hopeful  to  be  quiet,  and  this  was 
especially  the  case  when  we  left  fields  and  struck  public 
highways. 

We  saw  several  huts  on  the  roadside,  but  they  were 
apparently  deserted,  or  else  the  owners  were  in  our  ranks, 
for  not  a  light  was  seen  in  one  of  them,  nor  did  a  single 
person  appear  to  be  loitering  near  them. 

There  were  no  signs  of  pursuit ;  so  we  could  not  under 
stand  why  the  Fenians  should  wish  to  hurry  us  along  as 
they  did ;  and  when  I  spoke  to  Big  Mike  about  it,  he  only 
laughed  and  said  that  he  "  s'posed  the  boys  wanted  their 
supper,  and  that  they  couldn't  get  it  till  they  reached  the 
place  where  they  were  to  stop." 

"  And  is  it  far  from  here  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Faith,"  replied  the  leader,  with  a  grin,  "  I  don't  know 
what  ye  call  far.  Let  us  understand  that,  and  thin  Til 
tell  ye." 

1  saw  that  no  satisfaction  was  to  be  obtained  from  Mike, 
6®  trudged  on,  although  most  heartily  wishing  that  I  had 
a  small  force  of  mounted  men  at  my  disposal,  so  that  I 
could  scatter  our  guards,  and  thus  escape  to  civilization. 

Murden  had  the  same  thoughts,  for  he  whispered  to 
me, — 

"  If  I  had  a  score  of  my  mounted  police,  -  -  such  fellows 


124        1UE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OK 

as  I   led  when  we  beat  up  Darnley's   quarters,  —  there 
would  not  be  a  Fenian  in  sight  in  ten  minutes." 

Suddenly  our  escort  made  a  flank  movement.  They 
left  the  highway  once  more,  and  took  to  the  fields,  passed 
over  a  mountain  that  was  slippery  with  recent  rains,  and, 
after  descending,  found  ourselves  in  a  valley  that  was  dark 
and  difficult  of  navigation. 

Here,  for  the  first  time,  a  halt  took  place,  and  a  consulta 
tion  ensued  between  Mike  and  several  of  his  men.  The 
result  of  it  was,  two  of  the  Fenians  were  sent  forward  to 
see  if  the  coast  was  clear,  while  we  were  invited  to  take 
Beats  on  fallen  trees,  or  such  stones  as  were  handy. 

"  How  long  have  we  got  to  wait  here  ?  "  asked  Maurice, 
who  had  sulked  all  the  way  from  the  cars,  on  account  of 
the  trick  which  had  been  played  on  him. 

"  I  must  request  you  to  kape  silent,  lieutenant,"  Mike 
said.  "  You  are  too  good  a  military  man  not  to  know  that 
sometimes'  even  a  whisper  is  apt  to  betray  one." 

Maurice  did  not  deign  to  reply,  for  the  reason  that  argu 
ment  was  useless.  We  were  in  the  fellow's  power,  and  he 
could  do  as  he  pleased  with  us. 

The  Fenians,  apparently  as  tired  as  we  were,  seemed  to 
listen  for  some  signal,  and  at  last  it  came,  in  the  shape  of 
three  shrill  whistles. 

"  The  coast  is  clear,"  cried  Mike,  starting  up.  "  Como 
on,  boys.  We'll  soon  find  a  fire,  and  plenty  of  real  Irish 
whiskey." 

Once  more  we  were  in  motion,  staggering  over  stones 
and  stumps,  until  Mike  suddenly  halted,  uttered  a  shrill 
whistle  like  the  call  of  some  night  bird,  and  then  a  light 
wa«  exhibited  in  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  we  saw  a 
narrow  entrance  to  what  appeared  to  be  a  cave. 

"  Now,  gintlemen,  we  have  reached  a  place  of  rest. 
Enter  and  be  welcome.  I  don't  think  the  queen's  troops 
will  find  ye  here  —  do  you,  lieutenant?" 

Maurice  was  too  indignant  to  reply.  Mike  led  the  way 
and  we  followed  him;  and  when  we  had  entered,  we  found 
that  we  were  in  a  cave,  some  twenty  feet  high,  and  thirty 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  125 

or  forty  feet  square,  a  portion  of  it  cut  from  rock  and  clay 
years  and  years  before,  for  the  roof  and  sides  were  black 
with  smoke  and  dirt. 

In  one  corner  of  the  cave  was  a  roaring  peat  fire,  the 
Braoke  from  which  disappeared  in  some  mysterious  manner 
overhead.  There  was  an  outlet,  no  doubt,  for  the  cave 
was  well  ventilated  and  free  from  smoke. 

Seated  in  one  corner  of  the  fireplace,  smoking  a  pipe 
with  an  air  of  extreme  relish,  was  an  old  woman,  who 
was  so  hideous  that  she  was  enough  to  frighten  a  stout 
hearted  man  into  fits,  had  she  but  smiled  on  him  in  a 
friendly  way,  and  had  she  looked  cross  at  any  one  with 
weak  nerves,  he  would  have  been  a  lunatic  for  life. 

She  was  the  only  female  present,  and  ugly  enough  for 
all  the  women  of  Ireland.  Her  occupation  appeared  to  be 
superintending  the  boiling  of  a  pot  of  potatoes,  about  a 
bushel  of  the  esculents  being  over  the  fire  in  a  huge  copper 
kettle  that  looked  as  though  it  had  seen  better  days  when 
engaged  in  distilling  whiskey. 

The  old  woman  merely  glanced  up  as  we  entered,  took 
a  survey  of  us,  and  grunted  her  disapprobation,  or  ap 
proval,  I  could  not  tell  which,  at  the  number  of  visitors, 
and  then  applied  her  mind  to  the  care  of  her  pipe,  the 
potatoes,  and  the  fire. 

"  Well,  mother,  is  the  prates  most  done  ?  "  asked  Mike ; 
and  I  noticed  that  he,  big  as  he  was,  was  rather  concilia 
tory  in  his  manner  of  addressing  the  presiding  genius  of 
the  establishment,  as  he  continued:  — 

"The  boys  and  the  gintlemen  what  we  have  brought 
home  with  us  are  as  hungry  as  watch-dogs,  and  a  dish  of 
prates  and  whiskey  won't  be  bad  for  'em  this  night." 

The  old  woman  growled  out  some  answer  which  we 
could  not  hear,  and  then  Mike  replied, — 

"It's  true  for  you,  mother,  the  boys  do  like  their  whis 
key  ;  but  you  know  it  is  mate  for  'em  arter  a  long  tramp. 
But  don't  you  be  hard  on  'em,  mother,  dear,  'cos  you  knowi 
you  like  a  sup  yerself  as  well  as  any  person  in  the  county 
of  Cork." 


126       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

The  woman  did  not  pretend  to  deny  the  insinuation, 
and  we,  thinking  that  the  fire  would  feel  grateful  to  our 
wet  feet,  went  towards  it ;  but  a  fierce  growl  from  the  old 
hag  warned  us  that  we  were  encroaching  on  her  domains, 
and  so  we  retreated  with  the  exception  of  Fred,  who,  in 
stead  of  being  alarmed,  went  boldly  up  to  the  spitfire,  and 
laid  one  hand  on  her  bare,  dirty,  bony  shoulder. 

We  looked  on,  lost  in  astonishment  at  his  great  audacity. 
We  expected  to  see  him  scratched  or  soused  with  hot 
water,  or  else  pelted  with  steaming  potatoes ;  but,  to  our 
surprise,  nothing  of  the  kind  occurred.  The  old  woman 
submitted  to  it  as  though  she  had  found  a  new  pleasure 
and  rather  liked  it. 

The  Fenians  remarked  the  liberties  which  Fred  was 
taking  with  unutterable  astonishment,  and  even  Big  Mike 
was  open-mouthed  on  the  subject;  and  their  astonishment 
was  still  further  increased  when  they  saw  the  old  woman 
kick  a  block  of  turf  towards  our  friend,  and  intimate  by 
signs  that  he  might  seat  himself  on  it  near  the  fire  —  an 
invitation  which  I  will  do  Fred  the  justice  to  say  he  was 
prompt  to  accept. 

A  murmur  ran  through  the  crowd  as  they  saw  these 
marks  of  favoritism,  which  caused  the  old  woman  to  turn 
on  the  grumblers  like  an  angry  cat,  determined  to  scratch 
all  whom  she  disliked. 

"  Ye  don't  like  it,  ye  miserable  gossoons  that  ye  are ; 
and  ye  think  that  all  of  ye  is  entitled  to  the  same  favors  — 
don't  ye  ?  Wall,  now,  I  don't  believe  it.  This  boy  looks 
like  me  own  Bill,  what  you  all  recollect.  There  wasn't  a 
man  of  ye  that  could  stand  afore  or  by  the  side  of  him. 
Ye  know  it  now  —  don't  ye?" 

"  Yes,"  whispered  Mike,  in  so  low  a  tone  that  the  old 
woman  did  not  hear  him,  "  there  wasn't  a  man  in  Ould 
Ireland  what  could  bate  him  at  staling  a  shape.  Faith,  he 
allers  took  the  fat  ones  and  left  the  poor  ones,  and  he 
could  tell  one  from  the  other  on  the  darkest  night." 

uAnd  where  is  he  at  the  present  time?"  I  asked. 

"  Over  the  water,"  was  the  response,  and  a  motion  of 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  127 

the  thumb  in  the  direction  of  Australia,  as  near  as  IIP 
could  indicate.  "  lie  took  one  shape  too  many,  and  was 
naught  at  it;  and  the  judge  said  that  his  health  required 
a  jarney  that  would  kape  him  out  of  Ireland  for  five  years. 
The  ould  woman  mourns  for  him,  and  well  she  might; 
for,  had  he  been  lucky,  and  the  law  had  spared  him,  ho 
would  have  made  a  great  ornament  to  the  Fenian  organ 
ization.  Faith,  there  was  few  things  he  would  not  have 
dared  had  he  but  set  his  mind  on  the  subject.  O,  we  lost 
a  good  man  when  Teddy  left  the  country,  because  he 
could  not  help  himself." 

I  did  not  care  what  means  Fred  resorted  to  for  the  pur 
pose  of  ingratiating  himself  in  the  good  graces  of  the  old 
hag,  for  I  knew  that  he  had  a  purpose  in  all  that  he  did ; 
but  what  that  purpose  was  no  one  could  divine  until  he 
chose  to  show  it. 

As  soon  as  Fred  was  seated,  the  old  hag  took  her  pipe 
from  her  mouth  and  offered  it  to  Fred,  but  he  did  not 
accept  it,  although  he  did  not  refuse  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  offend  her  sensitiveness,  provided  she  had  any.  He 
merely  smiled,  and  pulled  from  his  pocket  his  own  choice 
meerschaum,  and  showed  her  that  he  was  prepared  for  a 
smoke  without  using  her  great  comforter. 

"  Wonders  will  never  cease,"  whispered  Mike.  "  He  is 
the  fust  man  she  ever  did  the  like  to  that  I  know  of; "  and 
all  those  around  him  corroborated  the  assertion. 

In  a  few  minutes,  seats  were  found  for  us.  They  were 
empty  kegs,  which  looked  as  though  they  had  at  one  time 
contained  whiskey,  and  I  strongly  suspected  they  would, 
at  no  distant  day,  be  again  filled  with  spirits;  for  although 
no  one  had  hinted  to  me,  yet  I  knew  that  we  must  be  near 
one  of  those  secret  stills  which  are  so  common  in  the 
mountains  of  Ireland,  and  which  serve,  and  have  served 
for  years,  as  the  secret  depository  of  arms  for  the  dis 
affected  class. 

The  pot  of  potatoes  was  taken  from  the  fire  and  set  in 
the  middle  of  the  cave  for  the  Fenians  to  help  them^alvea 
if  they  were  hungry;  but  Fred  fared  a  little  bett^/;  for 


128        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

the  old  woman,  still  showing  friendship  for  the  man  she 
had  taken  a  liking  to,  whipped  a  half  dozen  of  the  steam 
ing  potatoes  from  the  pot  on  to  a  plate  that  had  once  been 
whole,  but  was  now  cracked  and  broken,  and  black  with 
age  and  dirt. 

Fred  received  the  plate  and  its  contents  with  a  smilo 
and  a  bDW,  as  polite  as  if  the  first  lady  in  the  land  had 
handed  them  to  him,  and,  even  if  he  was  not  hungry, 
manifested  a  keenness  of  appetite  that  caused  the  o.-d 
woman  to  grin  an  approval  of  his  course. 

The  Fenians  fell  upon  the  potatoes  like  wild  beasts,  and 
gome  of  them  must  have  burned  their  throats,  the  way 
they  masticated  the  hot  esculents,  for  I  heard  more  than 
one  half-suppressed  howl  of  anguish  at  the  torture  which 
euch  gluttony  entailed. 

But  the  potatoes  soon  disappeared,  although  I  had,  by 
some  management,  secured  enough  to  give  Rover  a  com 
fortable  supper,  for  he  ate  the  vegetable  because  there  was 
nothing  else  for  him  to  take  hold  of.  He  was  a  wonder 
ful  dog  in  the  eating  line,  and  would  take  just  what  he 
could  get,  provided  he  could  not  obtain  delicacies  like  sur- 
loln  steak  cooked  to  a  turn,  and  spring  chickens  neatly 
broiled. 

As  soon  as  the  potatoes  were  cleared  away,  Mike  made 
a  sign,  and  from  some  secret  recess,  which  I  was  not  per 
mitted  to  explore,  a  keg  of  whiskey  was  introduced.  The 
boys  hailed  its  appearance  with  a  shout,  and  seemed  deter 
mined  to  make  a  night  of  it. 

uNow,  gintlemen,"  said  Mike,  speaking  to  our  party,  "I 
B'pose  you  is  tired,  and  would  like  a  little  rest  whLG,  the 
buys  is  drinkiri'  success  to  the  cause.  Jist  lay  down  '.here 
in  the  corner,  on  the  sacks  and  the  straw,  and  it's  an  ille- 
gant  bed  you  will  find  it.  The  buys  may  keep  ye  awake 
by  their  noise,  but  it's  better  to  pay  no  attention  to  'em, 
if  you  can  help  it." 

"And  how  long  do  you  mean  to  keep  us  here?"  I  asked. 

"  Who  can  tell  ?  "  was  the  reply.  "  Ye  is  too  important 
to  us  to  lave  u*  so  soon.  It's  few  friends  Ireland  has,  and 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  129 

them  she  must  take  care  of,  ye  know;"  and  the  fellow 
winked  at  us  in  a  knowing  manner,  and  then  pointed  to 
the  straw  and  potato  sacks. 

"If  you  do  not  beliete  us,"  I  continued,  "send  for  Mr. 
Stevens,  and  he  will  assure  you  that  we  know  nothing  of 
the  Fenians  or  their  movements." 

"We  would  be  mighty  grane  to  do  that,"  was  the  reply, 
with  a  knowing  laugh.  "We  don't  intend  to  kill  the 
goose  that  lays  the  golden  eggs.  Mr.  Stavans  and  the 
rest  of  the  hed  sinters  of  Ireland  can  wait  till  we  is  through 
TV  id  ye." 

I  saw  that  the  fellow  had  motives  of  his  own  for  keep 
ing  us,  and  would  not  suffer  us  to  depart  until  he  was  will 
ing;  so  we  made  the  best  of  our  way  to  the  straw,  and 
lay  down  and  rested ;  but  the  Fenians  made  such  a  con 
founded  noise,  quarrelling  and  lighting  over  their  whiskey, 
that  we  could  not  sleep  until  near  midnight.  Then  we 
began  to  doze;  but  Fred  and  I  were  awakened  by  Big 
Mike,  who  laid  his  hand  on  us,  and,  as  soon  as  he  "saw  ua 
open  our  eyes,  put  his  fingers  to  his  lips  in  token  of  silence. 

"  Get  up  and  come  to  the  fire,"  he  whispered.  "  I  must 
spake  wid  ye  for  a  moment." 

We  looked  around  the  cave,  and  saw  that  the  whiskey 
had  done  its  work,  for  the  Fenians  were  laid  out  in  all 
directions,  dead  drunk;  and  even  Big  Mike,  who  could 
swallow  whiskey  like  water,  looked  a  little  flushed  and 
flurried,  and  his  voice  was  husky  —  an  evidence  of  thick 
tongue  which  the  man  made  no  attempts  to  conceal. 

"  Now,  thin,  to  business,"  said  our  host,  and  threw  on 
the  fire  a  few  pieces  of  turf,  so  that  the  flames  would  light 
up  our  faces. 

"I  didn't  know  that  we  had  any  business,"  responded 
Fred,  with  a  sleepy  yawn. 

"  Well,  then,  it's  time  ye  did  know  it ;  and  it's  a  fine 
opportunity  ye  have  to  talk  it  over  wid  me,  for  I'm  yef 
friend  at  present,  and  by  yer  actions  shall  I  continue  to 
be  yer  friend." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded  Fred. 
9 


130  THE    GOLD    HUNTEKS   IX   EUfiOPE,   OB 

"Jist  this  and  no  more.  You  see  the  buys  what  is  scat 
tered  on  the  floor  —  don't  yer?" 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  them  buys  is  rather  short  for  money,  for  divil  a 
stroke  of  work  has  they  done  for  months.  They  is  true 
Fenians,  and  want  to  free  their  country  of  the  tyrant, 
afore  they  returns  to  the  spade  and  the  shovel." 

"  And  what  is  that  to  us  ?  " 

"Much.  You  has  come  from  a  rich  land,  one  that  wo 
loves,  and  we  wants  ye  to  jist  distribute  some  of  yer  favors 
wid  us  afore  ye  comes  to  the  big  ones  what  will  take  all, 
and  never  let  us  see  a  penny." 

"But  we  tell  you,  once  for  all,  that  we  are  not  head 
centres,  and  are  not  Fenians." 

"  Faith,"  chuckled  Mike,  "  I'm  willin'  to  believe  yer,  and 
I've  thought  so  all  along ;  but  it  don't  make  much  differ 
ence,  any  how,  as  long  as  we  is  acquainted.  You  has 
money,  and  we  wants  it.  My  men  wants  it,  or  they  must 
starve." 

"  Then  let  them  starve,"  cried  Fred,  in  his  passionate, 
impulsive  manner;  "for  no  money  do  they  get  from  us." 

"  Let  us  have  a  little  rason  on  this  pint,"  replied  Mike, 
although  his  brow  darkened  as  he  spoke,  as  though  he  was 
controlling  his  passions  for  some  definite  object.  "  Don't 
fly  in  the  face  of  Providence,  now,  I  beg  of  you.  You  is 
wid  us,  and  all  we  want  is  that  ye  should  stop  wid  us  for 
a  while,  or  until  we  can  feel  that  we  has  been  paid  for  our 
trouble." 

"You  have  been  to  all  the  trouble  without  consulting 
our  wishes,  and  we  don't  see  that  we  are  called  upon  to 
pay  you  a  penny  for  interfering  with  our  movements." 
And  Fred  expressed  his  opinion  in  so  emphatic  a  manner 
that  Bior  Mike  could  not  fail  to  understand  him. 

O 

Big  Mike's  face  looked  dark  and  lowering  as  he  heard 
these  words,  but  still  he  managed  to  ask,  — 

"  Do  you  tell  me  that  ye  ain't  got  no  bills  that  can  bo 
turned  into  gold  at  the  banks  in  Dublin?" 

"  All  of  our  bills  of  exchange  are  on  board  the  steamer. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  131 

We  brought  on  shore  only  enough  money  to  pay  our  ex 
penses  in  Ireland." 

"And  is  it  the  truth  ye  is  telhV  me?" 

"  Certainly.  Do  you  dare  to  suppose  that  we  would  tell 
an  untruth  ?  " 

The  Fenian  uttered  a  curse,  a  roar  of  disappointment. 

"  To  think  that  we  should  be  after  all  this  trouble  for 
•cothin'!  But  it's  the  worse  for  ye,"  he  added,  as  a  fierce 
.ook  entered  his  eyes.  "  The  buys  will  be  furious  when 
they  understand  that  they  will  make  nothing  by  this 
night's  work.  They  was  so  sure  that  they  had  four  hed 
sinters  in  their  hands,  that  I  don't  know  what  they  will 
do.  It's  little  power  I  shall  have  to  protect  ye." 
•  "We  can  protect  ourselves  if  we  had  weapons,"  an 
swered  Fred,  a  little  proudly. 

ft  Yes,  I  s'pose  so ;  but  ye  see  ye  hasn't  the  weepins,  and 
so  it's  no  use  to  talk  in  that  manner." 

"  But  if  you  are  so  friendly,  you  could  get  them  for  us," 
I  remarked. 

"And  so  turn  agin  my  own  buys,  hey?  No,  I'll  not 
do  it." 

"  Not  even  if  we  had  some  gold  to  pay  you  for  your 
trouble  ?  " 

"  Produce  the  gold,  and  then  I'll  talk  wid  ye,"  was  the 
response ;  and  I  saw  a  cunning  look  of  expectation  light 
up  the  man's  face,  and  I  had  no  doubt  in  my  own  mind 
that  we  could  buy  oar  escape  if  we  had  money  enough  on 
hand  to  do  so. 

"We  have  but  few  sovereigns  with  us,  Mike,"  I  said, 
u  but  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do.  Let  us  out  of  this  cave, 
and  guide  us  to  some  place  where  we  can  take  the  cars  for 
Dublin,  and  then  you  shall  have  ten  pounds  in  gold.  How 
does  that  suit  you?" 

"  It  don't  suit  me.  The  buys  will  be  more  mad  than  ten 
pounds,  now  I  tell  yer." 

4  Well,  what  do  you  want?"  Fred  asked. 

"  One  hundred  pounds,  in  gold,  and  devil  a  penny  less." 

*  We  will  see  you  — > " 


132  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

Fred  was  about  to  utter  an  oath,  but  he  checked  himsel£ 

"You  won't  do  it?"  Mike  asked. 

"No,  sir." 

"  Thin  you'll  stay  here  some  days,  or  else  the  buys  may 
get  mad  like,  and  take  the  power  out  of  my  hands,  and  if 
they  do,  it  will  be  bad  for  yer.  Don't  blame  me,  though, 
for  I'd  stood  yer  friend  at  all  times,  provided  ye  made  it 
an  object.  But  we  won't  talk  any  more :  I'm  sleepy ;  so  go 
back  to  yer  straw  while  I  take  a  nap." 

The  giant  took  a  long  drink  of  whiskey,  and  threw  him- 
st?lf  upon  the  ground  before  the  fire,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
was  snoring;  and  then,  by  the  dim  fire-flame,  I  saw  the 
old  woman  who  acted  as  cook  crawl  from  a  heap  of  sacks, 
cautiously  approach  the  snoring  Fenian,  and  stand  over 
him  as  if  to  be  certain  that  he  was  asleep.  When  she  was 
assured  that  he  was  not  pretending,  she  crept  towards  us, 
and  laying  one  of  her  claws  on  Fred's  arm,  motioned  for 
him  to  keep  silent. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

A   PLAN   FOB   AN   ESCAPE. SENTINELS     AND    WHISKEY. 

SECURING    MUSKETS. A    STRUGGLE. A     SENTINEL   ON 

THE    WATCH. 

THE  movements  of  the  old  woman  were  so  singular  that 
Fred  and  I  were  a  little  startled,  for  we  did  not  know  but 
that  she  meant  to  either  rob  or  murder  us.  But  as  soon 
as  she  laid  her  claw  on  Fred's  arm,  and  put  her  other  claw 
on  her  lips,  I  suspected  that  she  had  some  scheme  in  her 
mind  that  related  to  our  welfare. 

Hover  had  his  ideas  on  that  point,  however,  and  did  not 
manifest  that  cordiality  to  the  woman's  advances  which 
one  wou.d  have  supposed.  He  knew  his  master's  taste,  I 
imagine,  and  did  not  understand  how  we  could  tolerate, 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  133 

near  us,  so  hideous  a  female.  Had  a  pretty  girl  come  to* 
wards  us,  the  dog  would  not  have  growled  or  shown  big 
teeth. 

In  the  mean  time  Hopeful  was  snoring  and  dreaming  of 
the  pleasures  of  Paris,  and  Murden  was  concocting,  in  hia 
sleep,  plans  by  which  Australia  could  be  made  a  great  na 
tion,  provided  he  had  a  seat  in  the  cabinet,  and  an  unlim 
ited  amount  of  the  people's  money  to  expend  on  internal 
improvements,  and  sheep-raising. 

As  for  the  queen's  officer,  Maurice,  he  was  so  disgusted 
with  the  world  and  the  Fenians,  that  he  was  dreaming  of 
the  time  when  the  latter  would  be  extinct,  and  he  would 
have  command  of  a  regiment.  Perhaps  the  whiskey  which 
he  had  drank  might  have  inspired  his  ambition  and  disgust 
at  the  same  time. 

"  Hist,"  said  the  old  woman,  in  real  melodramatic  style, 
as  she  laid  a  hand  on  Fred's  arm.  "  Don't  ye  spake,  dar- 
lin',  or  make  noise  enough  to  wake  the  big  blackguard 
what  is  sleepin'  by  the  fire.  Do  ye  listen  to  me  now  ?  " 

"  Yes,  what  is  it?" 

"  Do  ye  mind  that  Pin  yer  friend,  now  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  know  that  you  are,"  returned  Fred. 

"  Will,  then  pay  attention  to  me,  or  by  the  holy  St.  Pat 
rick,  ye  never  was  in  more  danger  than  ye  is  at  tho  present 
time.  Do  ye  mind  that,  now  ?  " 

"Explain  to  us  what  you  mean,  mother." 

At  the  word  mother,  the  old  woman  uttered  a  whine 
that  was  loud  enough  to  awaken  a  dozen  ordinary  men. 
But  the  Fenians  were  sound  sleepers,  and  under  the  in 
fluence  of  whiskey  at  the  same  time,  so  that  considerable 
noise  was  required  to  start  them. 

"For  Heaven's  sake  don't  utter  such  a  shout  as  that 
again,"  begged  Fred.  "  Say  what  you  have  to  in  a  low 
tone,  and  we  will  listen." 

"  But  ye  look  so  much  like  him  when  they  sent  him 
across  the  water;  and  he,  the  noble  buy,  only  took  one 
shape  jist  because  he  was  hungry.  O,  hoh ! " 

She  commenced  rocking  her  body  back  and  forth,  which 


1 34  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   (XR 

was  a  signal  that  some  tall  howling  might  be  expected  un 
less  she  was  checked  before  her  grief  got  the  start  of  her 
discretion. 

"  D n,"  muttered  Fred,  and  took  hold  of  her  arm 

and  shook  her  until  her  gums  rattled  in  her  head,  as  they 
grated  against  each  other. 

This  treatment,  severe  as  it  was,  had  the  desired  effect, 
for  the  old  lady  ceased  her  moaning,  and  spoke  up  rather 
sharp  to  her  particular  friend  :  — 

"  Let  go  me  arm,"  she  said.  "  What  do  ye  mane  by 
rnakin'  yer  fingers  mate  in  the  flesh  in  that  manner?  It 
will  be  all  black  and  blue  in  the  mornin',  and  a  sight 
to  see." 

I  thought  of  the  smoke  and  dirt  on  her  arm,  and  won 
dered  how  a  bruise  could  be  discovered  through  the  coat 
ing  that  the  flesh  had  received  in  the  months  that  she  had 
lived  in  the  cave.  As  far  as  her  face  and  hands  were  con 
cerned,  they  did  not  look  as  though  they  had  seen  water 
for  many  weeks. 

The  old  lady  seemed  hurt  in  her  feelings  as  well  as  in 
her  flesh,  at  Fred's  treatment,  for  she  sat  on  the  straw 
rubbing  her  arm  and  muttering  at  the  same  time,  and  it 
needed  a  few  kind  words  on  Fred's  part  to  bring  her  up 
to  her  former  mark  of  kindness. 

"  Don't  take  offence,  mother,"  my  friend  said.  "  You 
know  how  much  I  like  you,  and  how  kind  you  have  been 
to  me.  Come,  be  a  good  soul,  and  let  me  know  what  you 
want  of  us." 

After  a  moment's  more  grumbling  the  old  woman  thought 
that  she  had  made  fuss  enough ;  so  she  turned  once  more  to 
Fred. 

"My  dear  boy,"  she  said,  "I  heard  all  that  you  told  that 
big  brute,  and  I  blaves  yer.  Ye  must  lave  this  place  as 
Boon  as  ye  can,  for  it  ain't  safe  for  yer  to  be  here.  They  is 
bad  men  all  round  yer,  and  they'll  take  yer  money  and 
yer  blood  and  think  nothin'  of  it.  Kape  the  dog  still,  ot 
he'll  wake  some  of  'em,  although  they  has  taken  enough 
whiskey  to  make  'em  slape  for  a  wake." 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE. 

I  checked  Rovei,  and  the  old  woman,  after  taking  breath, 
Continued,  — 

"  It's  little  I  cared  for  all  what  come  here,  afore  I  seed 
you.  But  'cos  you  look  like  one  what  I  loved  I'll  help  yer, 
and  so  spite  Big  Mike.  Now  listen  to  me,  and  pay  atten 
tion  to  what  I  has  to  say.  Unless  ye  give  the  devils  gooldj 
they'll  kape  ye  here  and  starve  ye  for  a  wake.  I've  seed 
'em  do  it,  so  I  know.  They  allers  make  a  raise  somehow." 

"Then  we  might  as  well  leave  while  they  are  asleep," 
Fred  said.  "What  is  to  prevent  us  from  going  at  this 
moment?" 

"  The  Fenians  what  is  outside  on  the  watch  would  §top 
yer,  and  bring  yer  back.  They  has  men  stationed  all  along 
to  give  warnin'  in  case  the  sojers  or  the  palers  come  near. 
Now,  do  yer  think  ye  could  get  past  'em,  if  I  took  care  of 
the  gossoon  what  is  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Fred,  without  the  least  hesitation. 
"•  We  need  but  directions  to  the  nearest  town,  and  then  we 
can  take  care  of  ourselves." 

"  Well,  listen  to  me.  Do  ye  mind,  now,  that  ye  must 
kape  a  lookout  all  the  time  for  Fenians,  for  they  will 
start  up  in  all  directions,  and  ax  who  ye  is,  and  all  that. 
When  ye  lave  this  place,  jist  turn  to  the  right,  and  go  up 
the  gorge  till  ye  come  to  a  big  cross,  and  there  ye  will 
find  a  path  that  will  take  ye  over  the  mountains,  and  to  the 
town  of  Athone.  There's  sojers  there,  and  they  will  take 
care  of  ye  if  ye  axes  'em  to  do  so.  Do  ye  mind,  now?" 

"Yes;  we  will' recollect  all  that  you  have  told  us.  1& 
there  anything  more?" 

"Only  this.  If  ye  should  meet  the  Fenians  on  the 
watch,  and  they  should  ax  ye  who  yc  is,  jist  answer  'em. 
*  For  Erin,'  and  they  will  let  ye  pass.  But  if  they  shouldn't. 
Bay  '  The  Fanians  is  alive,'  and  may  be  they'll  let  ye  pass 
If  they  don't,  ye  must  be  men  and  get  past  'em  at  any 
rate.  Now  make  blave  sleep,  while  I  'tend  to  the  gossoonb 
who  is  outside." 

She  left  us  and  went  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  and  in 
ft  short  time  returned  with  two  fellows  whom  we  had  seen 


136        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

in  the  cellar  iii  Queenstown.  They  were  armed  with  mus 
kets  and  pistols,  and  appeared  to  be  wide  awake  as  to  their 
duties;  for  they  first  looked  us  all  over  to  see  that  wo 
were  asleep ;  and  finding  that  our  eyes  were  closed,  and 
that  we  did  not  move,  they  turned  their  attention  to  Big 
Mike,  but  he  was  snoring  most  devotedly;  so  they  were 
assured  that  he  slept.  The  others  they  did  not  appear  to 
care  for. 

"Be  quick,  old  woman,  for  we  must  go  back  to  our 
posts,"  one  of  the  men  whispered.  "Let  us  have  the 
whiskey,  and  no  delay  about  it." 

"Faith,  there's  no  hurry,"  she  answered  him.  "You 
can  stay  here  till  mornin',  and  who'll  be  the  wiser  for  it? 
Here,  drink  ;  and  there's  more  where  it  come  from." 

She  handed  them  a  noggin  that  must  have  contained  a 
quart  of  whiskey,  and  they  attacked  it  like  men  determined 
to  vanquish  it,  or  die  in  the  attempt. 

First  one  took  a  long  swig,  and  then  the  other;  and 
then  the  first  one  did  not  appear  satisfied,  so  he  finished 
what  whiskey  there  was  left  in  the  noggin,  and  then  looked 
at  the  old  woman  in  a  reproachful  sort  of  manner,  as 
though  she  was  alone  to  blame  for  the  rapid  disappearance 
of  the  liquor. 

"Ye  will  take  jist  another  sip  —  won't  ye?"  asked  the 
woman. 

The  fellows  hesitated,  looked  at  each  other,  at  the  fire, 
at  their  guns,  and  then  concluded  that  they  would  just 
wet  their  lips,  and  no  more.- 

The  woman  had  accomplished  her  object,  and  I  saw  a 
grin  steal  over  her  face,  and  even  crackle  the  dirt  that  was 
enamelled  on  her  cheeks.  She  had  induced  them  to  so  far 
forget  their  duty  that  they  were  anxious  for  a  second  pull 
at  the  liquor,  and  while  waiting  for  her  to  .draw  it,  sat 
down  on  the  floor  of  the  cave,  with  strong  manifestations 
of  singing  or  quarrelling. 

"  Here  is  more  of  the  same  kind,"  the  woman  said,  and 
handed  them  the  whiskey;  and  before  the  noggin  was 
emptied,  she  pointed  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave,  and 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  137 

made  motions  for  us  to  take  our  departure  while  she 
attended  to  the  two  sentinels. 

Iii  a  quiet  way  we  managed  to  awaken  Murden  gr.3 
Hopeful,  and  to  explain  to  them  what  we  were  abo  it. 
They  were  too  well  accustomed  to  bush  life  to  manifest 
the  least  surprise  at  our  information,  and,  without  a  word, 
they  prepared  to  follow  our  lead. 

"  I  can't  go  without  those  guns,"  whispered  Fred.  "  They 
will  be  of  more  use  to  us  than  the  Fenians; "  and,  without 
waiting  for  a  reply,  he  crawled  along  on  his  hands  and 
knees  to  the  spot  where  the  weapons  were  lying. 

We  watched  his  course  with  considerable  anxiety ;  for 
if  his  movements  were  discovered,  an  alarm  would  be 
given,  and  we  should  suffer  by  a  closer  imprisonment. 
Once,  just  as  Fred  laid  a  hand  on  the  stock  of  a  gun,  one 
of  the  Fenians  turned  his  head  and  looked  straight  at  Fred, 
and  we  certainly  thought  that  he  was  discovered  ;  but, 
luckily,  the  light  from  the  fire  was  rather  dim,  and  the 
whiskey  had  so  affected  the  fellow's  eyes,  that  he  was 
uncertain  whether  he  saw  a  live  man  or  a  shadow. 

For  a  moment  he  stared  at  Fred,  but  the  latter  did  i;ot 
move,  or  appear  to  breathe ;  so  the  Fenian  supposed  that 
he  must  be  mistaken,  and  accordingly  once  more  turned 
his  attention  to  the  whiskey,  which  he  loved  more  than  he 
did  his  disagreeable  duties. 

As  soon  as  the  fellow's  eyes  were  turned  towards  the 
old  woman  and  the  spirit,  Fred  renewed  his  labors. 
Quietly  and  cautiously  he  moved  the  gun  until  he  was 
enabled  to  hand  it  to  us  without  noise  or  attracting  atten 
tion.  Then  he  fished  for  the  other  one ;  but  here  he  met 
with  some  little  difficulty,  for  the  owner  of  the  musket  had 
placed  his  foot  on  the  barrel,  and  did  not  seem  disposed  to 
move  it  in  a  hurry. 

This  set  Fred  studying  out  a  plan  to  make  the  fellow 
move  his  fool  and  free  the  musket,  and  he  soon  hit  on  one, 
aKhough  it  was  a  dangerous  experiment,  and  such  as  bitf 
few  men  wrould  have  adopted.  Taking  a  pin  from  son) a 
potion  of  his  dress,  ho  inserted  it  in  the  calf  of  the  Fern 


138  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN    E[IRC     E,   OB 

an's  leg,  and  in  an  instant  up  went  the  heavy  foot,  and 
down  went  a  heavy  hand  to  the  spot  where  the  pin  had 
entered ;  but  unfortunately  the  stupid  replaced  his  foot 
once  more  on  the  gun  as  firm  as  ever. 

We  all  wanted  to  laugh  at  the  scene,  and  should  have 
done  so  had  our  position  been  less  precarious.  As  it  was, 
we  smothered  our  inclination,  and  once  more  watched  the 
play  which  was  going  on. 

Fred  was  not  in  the  least  disheartened  at  his  failure. 
He  was  too  firm  a  piece  of  humanity  to  be  baffled  at  one 
defeat,  so  renewed  the  attack  as  soon  as  he  thought  it  safe 
to  do  so. 

"  Holy  St.  Patrick !"  cried  the  Irishman,  in  a  tone  of 
great  indignation,  as  he  raised  his  foot  and  put  one  hand 
on  the  place  where  the  pin-point  had  entered. 

He  rubbed  his  leg,  covered  with  the  tight,  thick  stock 
ing  of  the  country,  and  then  muttered,  in  a  half-drunken 
tone, — 

"  Ah,  but  the  flays  is  hungry  to-night,  the  way  they  bite 
one  !  It's  a  monster  I  has  on  me  leg,  and  he's  suckin'  the 
lifeblood  out  of  me.  Whoop,  but  he's  a  bill  like  a  nadle, 
now,  I  tell  yer ! " 

We  were  compelled  to  stuff  some  portion  of  our  cloth 
ing  in  our  mouths  to  keep  from  laughing;  and  that 
wretched  Hez  did  giggle  a  little,  making  just  noise  enough 
to  attract  attention. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  Fenians,  as  the  sup- 
|  ressed  giggles  struck  on  his  ear. 

He  turned  his  head  to  look  towards  us ;  but  the  oH 
woman  came  to  our  rescue  in  an  instant. 

"Sure,"  she  said,  "a  slapin'  man  can  snore,  can't  he, 
widout  frightening  yer  out  of  yer  wits?  Don't  ye  hear 
'em,  or  do  ye  care  more  for  the  whiskey  that  I  holds  in  my 
hand?"  And  the  old  lady  put  it  under  the  nose  of  the 
suspicious  man,  who  snuffed  the  liquor,  and  no  longer 
thought  of  sleeping  men  and  their  noises. 

lie  put  the  noggin  to  his  mouth,  and  drank  like  a  per 
son  who  was  thirsty ;  and  while  his  companion  was  regard- 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  139 

ing  his  proceedings  with  some  little  show  o:'  anxiety,  for 
fear  that  the  noggin  would  be  emptied  befoie  it  left  his 
mouth,  Fred  removed  the  second  rnusket  from  its  place, 
and  passed  it  over  to  us,  and  then  motioned  that  we  must 
be  ready  to  leave  the  cave  at  once. 

Quietly  we  arose  to  our  feet,  and  stole  to  the  door,  wav 
ing  the  old  woman  an  adieu,  as  a  token  of  our  friendship 
and  gratitude  for  her  aid.  She  uttered  a  low-toned  howl 
as  she  saw  Fred  disappear;  but  the  Fenians  supposed  that 
it  was  only  an  encouragement  to  drink,  so  did  not  turn 
their  faces  towards  us,  as  we  feared  they  would  do. 

In  another  moment  we  were  in  the  open  air,  and  found 
that  it  was  starlight,  cool  and  still.  We  remembered  the 
directions  which  the  old  woman  had  given  us,  and  were 
about  to  find  our  way  through  the  gorge,  when  some  one 
laid  a  heavy  hand  on  Fred's  shoulder,  and  a  strange  voice 
said, — 

"Don't  ye  be  in  sich  a  hurry,  gintlemen.  I  wants  a 
word  wid  ye." 

We  stopped  and  looked  at  the  fellow,  and  saw  that  he 
was  one  of  the  party  who  had  taken  us  from  the  train,  so 
Jniew  that  his  intentions  were  far  from  being  pacific. 

"What  do  you  want?"  Fred  asked,  in  a  short,  curt 
manner. 

"Nothin',  unless  yer  honors  has  a  handful  of  goold  that 
yer  honors  would  like  to  bestow  on  a  desarving  buy." 

"  We  have  no  gold  to  give  away,"  was  the  reply,  and 
then  Fred  made  a  motion  to  move  on;  but  the  Fenian 
held  to  his  coat,  and  did  not  relish  the  idea  of  being  thus 
ehakon  off. 

v  Sure  yer  honors  has  a  few  pieces  that  yer  honors  does 
not  want,"  the  man  whined. 

"Not  a  single  piece  but  that  we  know  how  to  employ." 

"Ye  had  better;"  and  the  Fenian  spoke  in  a  threaten 
ing  tone. 

"  We  can't  waste  our  time  with  the  fellow,"  muttered 
Munlen.  "  Co  ne  on." 

"Look  at  me  for  a  moment,"  the  Fenian  said.    "I  know 


140        T1.E  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

ye  is  lavin'  the  cave  while  Big  Mike  is  slapin',  and  I'm  not 
the  buy  to  say  a  word  agin  it  if  I  is  paid  a  little  somethin1 
fair  for  my  trouble.  Come,  say  ten  sovereigns,  and  I  shut 
my  eyes.  Divil  a  cent  less." 

He  laid  one  hand  on  Fred's  collar,  a  little  rough,  per 
haps,  for  the  purpose  of  enforcing  attention ;  but  the  next 
moment  the  fellow  was  on  his  back,  laid  there  by  a  blow 
from  the  nervous  arm  of  my  friend,  who  had  a  fist  as  hard 
as  iron, 

"Quick!"  cried  Fred,  as  the  fellow  struck  the  ground. 
"  We  must  gag  and  bind  him,  so  that  he  can't  give  an 
alarm.  Who  has  a  spare  handkerchief?" 

"I  have,"  responded  Hopeful,  "but  it  ain't  none  too 
clean.  My  cold  —  " 

"Never  mind  your  cold.  Give  me  the  handkerchief. 
It  must  go  into  his  mouth,  to  keep  his  tongue  from  wag- 
gin'.  Now,  then,  a  cord.  Who  has  one?" 

"Here  is  what  you  want,"  replied  Murden.  "I  always 
carry  such  things  about  me.  An  Australian  habit,  you 
know.  Let  me  bind  him.  I  can  do  it  better  than  you, 
having  had  experience.  O  Lord !  when  I  think  of  the 
cusses  I've  slipped  the  irons  on  in  Victoria,  it  almost 
makes  me  wish  that  I  was  back  there,  and  once  more  on 
the  police  force.  Ah,  you  needn't  kick,  for  it's  no  use." 

The  last  remark  was  addressed  to  our  prisoner,  who  be 
gan  to  manifest  symptoms  of  rebellion  when  he  felt  the 
cords  cutting  his  legs,  as  they  were  drawn  together  too 
tight  for  comfort. 

All  of  this  work  had  been  done  without  the  least  noise 
or  confusion  ;  and  although  we  were  not  more  than  twenty 
feet  from  the  cave,  yet  those  in  it  had  not  heard  the  struggle. 

"There,"  cried  Murden,  as  he  arose  from  his  task,  "now 
I  think  we  can  move  on.  The  fellow  will  be  found  in  the 
morning,  and  released." 

"Good  by,  Pat,"  said  Fred.  "The  next  time  you  want 
gold,  you  had  better  npply  to  somebody  else  besides  Amer 
ican  head  centres.  Give  our  regards  to  Big  Mike."  And 
with  these  words  we  once  more  resumed  our  march  through 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  141 

/he  ravine,  stumbling  over  stones  and  into  holes  the  mo 
ment  we  left  the  path,  which  was  far  from  being  distinct, 
even  by  the  aid  of  starlight. 

We  did  not  meet  any  one  until  we  were  a  mile  from 
the  cave,  and  when  we  were  looking  the  hardest  for  the 
cross  which  the  old  woman  had  told  us  was  to  bo  used  as 
a  guide-board  in  shaping  our  course  for  the  little  hamlet 
of  Athone. 

All  at  once,  when  we  least  expected  it,  some  one  stood 
in  our  path,  musket  in  hand. 

"  Halt  there ! "  the  stranger  said,  in  a  tone  that  meant 
something.  "Tell  me  who  ye  is,  or  I'll  fire." 

"Why  don't  you  ask. for  the  password,  you  stupid?" 
Harden  replied,  and  advanced  towards  the  sentinel. 

"  Well,  thin,  give  it  to  me,  and  be  quick  about  it,  for  by 
the  Cove  of  Cork,  me  musket  is  burnin'  to  go  off." 

"  Let  it  burn,  but  save  your  powder,  for  you  know  that 
we  are  all  for  Erin." 

"And  what  else  has  ye  to  say  for  yerselves?"  the  senti 
nel  asked,  in  a  tone  that  was  not  quite  as  fierce. 

"  Only  this ;  that  the  Fenians  are  alive." 

"And  by  the  powers  ye  may  well  say  that,  when  four 
hed  sinters  come  all  the  way  from  'Merica  with  lots  of 
goold,  to  help  us  poor  fellers  in  the  cause.  Do  ye  know 
where  they  is  now  ?  " 

"  O,  they  are  in  the  cave,"  Fred  answered,  for  he  saw 
that  the  sentinel  did  not  recognize  us. 

"And  atin'  and  drinkin',  I  s'pose?"the  Fenian  asked, 
in  a  doleful  tone,  which  showed  how  much  he  would  have 
liked  a  hand  in  that  line. 

"  Ye»,  the  whiskey  is  flowing  free,  and  as  for  the  eating, 
it  is  most  beautiful.  Meat  and  steaming  hot  potatoes." 

"And  me  here,  and  dying  for  something  to  drink  and 
ate ;  and  I  s'pose  when  mornin'  comes,  there  won't  be  a 
drop  or  a  morsel  left  for  the  gossoons  what  has  been  on 
duty  all  night.  Faith,  this  ain't  the  kind  of  treatment  I 
expected,  at  all  at  all,  when  I  jined  the  Fenians." 

"  O  you  will  find  enough  left  for  a  dozen  men,"  Fred 


142  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUJROPE,    OR 

said.  "If  you  don't,  we  will  see  that  you  have  youi  share 
of  tha  good  things  that  we  bring  to  the  cave  in  the 
morning." 

The  sentinel  was  about  to  express  his  thanks  in  choice 
brogue,  when  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  light  on  the 
side  of  the  mountain,  in  the  direction  we  had  just  left,  and 
apparently  somewhere  near  the  cave. 

Once,  twice,  three  times  the  light  flashed  up  and  disap 
peared.  It  was  meant  as  a  signal,  that  was  evident ;  and 
the  sentinel  so  understood  it,  for  he  muttered  to  himself 
some  words  that  we  did  not  understand,  and  then  spoke. 

"  Did  ye  see  it  ?  "  he  asked. 

"What?" 

"The  fire  signal." 

"  Yes,  we  saw  it." 

"And  do  ye  read  it  like  meself?" 

"How  do  you  read  it?"  Murden  replied,  in  his  usual 
non-committal  style. 

"Why,  it  says,  just  as  plain  as  words,  that  the  prisoners 
have  escaped,  and  that  we  sentinels  must  be  on  the  look 
out  for  'em." 

"  You  have  read  the  signals  right,"  Murden  replied. 
"We  are  glad  to  see  that  you  are  so  attentive  to  duty, 
and  will  speak  to  Big  Mike  of  your  faithfulness.  We  are 
in  search  of  the  fellows  who  escaped,  and  hope  to  cut 
them  off  in  case  they  get  over  the  mountains ;  so  you  see 
we  can't  stop  long  to  talk  with  you." 

"Yes;  but  —  " 

The  fellow  had  a  suspicion  that  we  were  not  just  right, 
but  he  did  not  know  how  to  express  himself;  so,  while  he 
was  making  up  his  mind,  we  walked  off  as  fast  as  possi 
ble,  but  had  not  got  more  than  twenty  paces  from  him 
when  he  came  running  after  us,  and  shouted, — 

"Look  ahere!  who  in  the  devil's  name  is  ye,  anyhow?" 

"Answer  the  signal,  and  don't  bother  us  with  any  moro 
questions,"  replied  Murden,  a  little  roughly,  and  with  somo 
assumption  of  authority ;  and  on  we  went,  as  fast  as  our 
'egs  could  carry  us,  and  in  a  few  minutes  had  the  satisfaa 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  14ii 

tion  of  seeing  that  the  sentinel  had  attended  to  Murden's 
hints,  and  had  kindled  his  signal  fire  to  warn  all  the  rest 
of  the  Fenians  in  the  valley  or  gorge,  that  the  prisoners 
had  escaped  from  the  cave,  and  must  be  recaptured  as 
soon  as  possible. 

"  On  we  go,"  whispered  Murden ;  "  and  ma^  the  Lord 
keep  the  sentinels  out  of  our  course!" 

"  Amen,"  we  replied,  and  pressed  on  as  fast  as  possible ; 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  stone  cross  which  the  old  woman 
had  told  us  of  came  in  sight,  but  under  its  shadow  stood 
a  man  with  a  musket  in  his  hand. 

We  had  met  another  Fenian  sentinel,  who  was  wide 
awake,  and  had  seen  us  on  the  run.  He  had  been  warned 
by  the  signals  that  the  prisoners  had  escaped,  and  were 
to  be  recaptured.  We  halted,  and  resolved  to  temporize 
before  proceeding  to  violence. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CAPTURING     AN     OUTPOST. ON     THE     MOUNTAINS. THE 

HUT    IN    THE    VALLEY. THE    STILL    AND    ITS    OWNER. — • 

A    SURPRISE. 

FOR  a  moment  we  stood  regarding  the  sentinel,  and  he 
looked  at  us  in  silence,  as  much  surprised  as  we  were  at 
the  unexpected  meeting.  Then  Murden  stepped  forward, 
and  assumed  that  commanding  tone  which  was  so  natural 
to  him. 

"  Who  are  you  that  is  on  duty  here  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Faith,"  was  the  answer,  "that's  rnore'n  I  know  meself. 
Sometimes  they  calls  me  Pat  McKenny,  and  at  other  times 
a  Fenian  thafe  of  the  world." 

"And  which  are  you  best  known  by?" 

"Faith,  if  there  was  a  shape  near  me  and  I  vas  hungry, 


144  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IX    EUROPE,   OB 

I  think  they  might  call  me  a  thafe  and  welcome,  as  long  as 
I  had  some  of  the  mate." 

"And  yet  you  are  a  good  Fenian,  I  trust?"  Murden 
continued. 

"  You  can  well  belave  that ;  and  it  reminds  me  that  the 
signal  says  I'm  to  look  sharp  for  escaped  prisoners.  God 
Bave  all  here ;  I  hope  you  are  not  some  of  'em." 

"No;  we  are  on  the  lookout  for  the  men.  Be  sure  and 
not  let  them  escape  you." 

"  Faith,  then,"  answered  the  man,  with  a  chuckle,  "  I'd 
better  hold  on  to  you  till  some  one  can  tell  me  that  ye  is 
all  right.  So  jist  squat  on  the  ground  till  I'm  told  that  ye 
is  friends." 

The  fellow  was  not  so  stupid  as  we  had  supposed.  He 
had  suspicions  that  we  were  not  all  right,  and  was  deter 
mined  to  keep  us  until  such  time  as  some  one  should  prove 
that  we  were  of  the  proper  stamp. 

"  But,  Pat,"  said  Murden,  "you  know  —  " 

"  I  know  that  ye  must  squat  down  on  the  ground,"  re 
plied  Pat.  "Ye  may  talk  all  that  ye  want  to,  but  don't 
do  it  standin'  thar  if  ye  plase.  It  is  inconvanient  to  all 
of  us." 

"You  blockhead,  do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  want  us 
to  remain  here  until  some  one  comes  from  the  cave  ?  " 

"Them's  me  very  words,"  was  the  reply. 

At  this  moment  Fred  dropped  to  the  ground,  and,  snake- 
like,  worked  his  way  out  of  sight.  I  suspected  that  he 
had  gone  on  some  important  errand,  and  that  he  required 
time  to  accomplish  it ;  so  when  Murden  failed  to  find  words 
to  express  his  indignation  at  the  Fenian's  folly,  I  helped 
him  to  a  few  choice  epithets,  and  so  the  conversation  con 
tinued  until  I  saw  Fred's  form  rise  up  in  the  background; 
and  then  came  a  grand  explosion  of  rage,  as  Fred's  stout 
arms  pinned  Pat's  to  his  side. 

The  musket  which  the  Fenian  carried  dropped  to  the 
giound,  and  was  quietly  picked  up  by  Murden;  and  then 
the  owner  of  it  uttered  some  doleful  comments  at  the 
manner  in  which  he  had  been  entrapped  an  3  disarmed. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  145 

"  I  don't  call  it  fair,"  he  said.  "It  wan't  mating  a  man 
tace  to  face,  as  all  true-hearted  sons  of  Erin  will  do. 
Well,  now  that  I'm  down,  what  do  ye  mane  to  do  wid 
me?" 

"  Will  you  let  us  pass,  and  say  no  more  about  it  ?  " 
Murden  asked. 

"  Faith,  ye  has  me  permission  to  do  as  ye  plase.  I'm 
powerless  now  to  detain  yer.  Go  'long  wid  yer ;  I  don't 
say  that  ye  has  spoken  to  me." 

"And  you  will  promise  not  to  inform  any  one  of  the 
direction  in  which  we  go  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I'll  promise  anything  that  ye  want.  Now,  does 
that  satisfy  ye  ?  " 

We  informed  him  that  it  did,  so  released  him,  and  once 
more  hastily  proceeded  on  our  way ;  but  we  were  not 
more  than  ten  yards  from  the  fellow  when  we  heard  the 
report  of  a  musket,  and  an  ounce  ball  whizzed  past  our 
heads,  sent  after  us  by  our  late  captive,  who  thus  reminded 
us  that  promises  in  Ireland  were  not  always  to  be  re 
lied  on. 

We  all  stopped ;  and  the  impulse  of  the  moment  WAS 
to  return  and  take  vengeance  on  the  fellow;  but  we  recol 
lected  that  he  had  only  done  his  duty,  and  that  we  should 
waste  time  if  we  sought  to  find  him  in  the  dark. 

Besides,  in  answer  to  the  Fenian's  musket  came  another 
report  up  the  glen,  and  in  the  direction  we  were  pursuing. 
It  showed  that  the  sentinels  were  awake  and  on  the  look 
out  for  our  party,  and  that  if  we  would  escape  the  net  that 
surrounded  us,  we  had  but  little  time  to  lose. 

"Forward!"  cried  Murden.  "The  Fenians  are  on  our 
track,  and  we  must  shake  them  off." 

We  found  the  path  that  led  over  the  mountain  to 
Athone,  and  up  this  we  pressed  for  a  few  rods,  and  then 
halted  under  the  shadow  of  some  trees  for  the  purpose  of 
consulting  in  low  tones  on  the  next  movements,  so  as  to 
avoid  outlaying  Fenians. 

"We  shall  be  certain  to  stumble  on  one  or  more  senti 
nels,"  Fred  said,  after  we  had  listened  to  see  if  we  could 
10 


146  TDB    GOLD    HUNTEKS   IN    EUROPE,    OB 

hear  any  one  in  pursuit,  "  if  we  follow  this  path.  Now, 
the  question  is,  can  we  hope  to  find  the  hamlet  of  Athone, 
if  we  leave  it  and  pick  our  way  over  the  mountain  ?  " 

"We  must  try  it,"  answered  Murden.  "There  is  no 
other  course  left  for  us.  We  may  as  well  risk  our  lives  one 
way  as  another.  Come  on.  Time  is  precious  to  us." 

Murden,  who  was  a  good  mountaineer,  led  the  way,  and 
we  followed  him  in  single  file.  We  turned  to  the  left, 
from  the  narrow  path,  and  scrambled  over  rocks  and 
ground  that  did  not  present  a  good  foothold ;  and  more 
than  once  we  came  near  rolling  down  precipices  that  were 
a  hundred  feet  deep. 

When  we  met  such  obstructions  to  our  course,  we  would 
turn  aside  and  follow  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  until  we 
came  to  a  place  where  we  could  descend,  and  by  this 
method  we  were  enabled  to  cross  the  mountain  and  reach 
its  base  just  as  daylight  began  to  show  itself.  Then,  tired, 
hungry  and  thirsty,  we  sat  down  and  rested,  and  lighted 
our  pipes. 

"Well,  of  all  the  horrible  tramps  that  man  ever  en 
dured,  I  believe  we  have  had  the  worst  to-night,"  cried 
Maurice,  whose  life  in  the  army  had  not  tended  to  keep 
his  muscles  in  good  order. 

"You  don't  call  this  much  of  a  walk  —  do  you?"  asked 
Hopeful.  "Ah,  you  should  see  some  of  the  mountains 
that  I've  tramped  over  in  New  Hampshire.  This  is  mere 
ly  a  mole-hill,  compared  to  them  ere." 

"Did  you  ever  Walk  over  them  in  the  dark?"  asked 
Maurice. 

"No,  not  exactly;  but  then  you  know  they  are  so  high 
that  a  feller  what  goes  up  one,  has  daylight  during  the 
whole  twenty-four  hours,  so  there's  no  'casion  for  him  to 
walk  in  the  dark." 

"  What  a  whopper  of  a  mountain  ! "  Maurice  replied ;  and 
then  we  all  took  a  sip  from  Fred's  pocket-flask,  and  re 
sumed  our  journey. 

For  an  hour  we  toiled  on,  in  hopes  of  once  more  striking 
tfie  path  which  was  to  lead  us  to  Athone;  but  although 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  147 

we  looked  from  the  top  of  the  highest  mountain,  yet  not 
a  sign  of  a  road  did  we  discover,  or  anything  in  the  shape 
of  a  village,  except  a  mud  hut  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on 
which  we  stood. 

The  sun  was  just  rising  when  we  made  this  discovery. 
At  any  other  time  we  might  have  paused  to  admire  the 
briUiant  scene,  but  we  were  too  tired,  hungry  and  dirty  to 
stop  for  sentiment. 

"  We  must  make  for  the  hut,  and  see  if  we  can't  procure 
a  guide,"  the  lieutenant  said. 

"  And  breakfast,"  muttered  Hopeful. 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,  my  friend,"  Maurice  said. 
"  If  you  are  very  hungry,  don't  anticipate  too  much,  for  the 
reaction  will  be  terrible.  If  you  obtain  a  potato  and  a 
drink  of  water,  you  will  be  fortunate." 

"  Well,  let  us  hope  for  better  things,"  Fred  said ;  and 
down  the  hill  we  plunged,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  or 
more,  we  reached  the  hut. 

The  only  sign  of  life  that  we  could  discover,  as  we  ap 
proached  the  hut,  was  some  smoke  making  its  escape  from 
one  of  the  windows,  for  the  want  of  a  chimney;  and  a 
gaunt  pig  that  was  rooting  and  eating  grass-roots,  for  the 
want  of  a  better  breakfast. 

"  We  shall  find  some  one  at  home,  thank  Heaven,"  Mau 
rice  said  ;  "  and  if  we  don't,  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  that 
pig." 

"Amen,"  cried  four  hungry  men;  and  they  cast  savage 
glances  at  the  wild-looking  porcine. 

We  quietly  approached  the  hut.  The  pig  was  so  aston 
ished  at  our  appearance  that  he  curled  his  tail  in  fright, 
and  ran  to  the  shelter  of  a  small  bog,  grunting  disaffection 
all  the  way.  Perhaps  his  instinct  told  him  that  we  were 
desperate  men,  and  capable  of  desperate  deeds  in  the  eat 
ing  line,  if  our  appetites  were  once  aroused. 

The  flight  of  the  pig  startled  some  chickens  from  a  bog- 
Lole,  where  they  were  scratching  for  a  living.  This  was 
BO  encouraging  that  we  were  disposed  to  give  three  cheers, 
and  would  have  done  so,  had  we  not  been  too  tired.  How* 


148       THE  GOLD  HUNTEES  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

ever,  we  marked  the  flight  of  the  biddies,  and  resolved 
that  some  of  them  should  die,  if  money  could  purchase 
their  death. 

We  approached  the  door  of  the  hut.  It  was  off  its 
hinges,  and  stood  against  the  mud  wall,  so  we  had  no 
trouble  in  looking  in;  and  there  we  saw  a  man  and  woman 
seated  over  a  kettle  of  steaming  potatoes,  and  eating  them 
in  the  most  primitive  manner,  without  the  aid  of  knives 
and  forks,  or  even  plates,  and  I  think  that  they  did  not 
stop  to  scrape  the  skins  off. 

"God  save  all  here,"  cried  Murden,  entering  the  hut, 
and  so  astonishing  the  couple  that  they  managed  to  kick 
over  the  kettle  between  them  ;  and  I  think  the  old  woman, 
who  was  dirty  and  smoke-dried,  received  a  little  of  the 
hot  water,  in  which  were  the  potatoes,  on  her  foot,  for  she 
uttered  a  howl  and  a  blessing  at  the  same  time,  and  then 
sat  down  on  the  ground,  and  rubbed  the  member  with 
considerable  energy. 

In  the  mean  time  the  master  of  the  hut  had  stood  star 
ing  at  us,  so  lost  in  astonishment  that  he  could  not  find 
words  to  reply  to  our  salutation ;  and  it  was  not  until  we 
had  again  spoken  to  him,  that  he  managed  to  stammer  out; 
some  kind  of  a  welcome. 

"  God  save  all  here,"  repeated  Murden. 

"The  same  to  you,"  was  the  Irishman's  reply;  at  the 
same  time  he  did  not  look  as  though  he  meant  what  he 
said,  and  I  saw  astonishment  and  distrust  in  his  eyes. 

"And  what  is  the  cause  of  this  visit,  yer  honors?"  asked 
the  proprietor  of  the  hut.  "  Biddy,  don't  be  sated  there  a 
rubbin'  yer  foot,  when  it  will  do  yer  no  good.  Git  up  and 
find  some  sates  for  their  honors." 

The  wife,  as  we  supposed  she  was,  here  arose,  and  found 
four  or  five  stools,  on  which  we  were  glad  to  seat  ourselves 
and  rest ;  and  then  we  looked  at  the  smoking  potatoes, 
and  wished  we  had  something  better. 

"Pat,"  said  Murden,  with  one  of  his  most  engaging 
smiles,  "how  far  is  it  to  Athone?" 

"  And  who  told  yer  my  name  was  Pat,  to  be  sure  ?  " 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  149 

«  O,  we  guessed  it,"  was  the  reply. 

"Faith,  then,  couldn't  yer  jist  as  easily  guess  yer  way 
to  Athene?"  And  here  the  impudent  fellow  laughed  at 
his  own  wit,  and  that  wretched  Hopeful  joined  him,  as  a 
sort  of  encouragement. 

"  Come,  come,  Pat,  or  whatever  your  name  is,"  replied 
Murden,  "  don't  let  us  fool  each  other.  We  have  lost  our 
way,  are  hungry,  and  would  like  to  reach  Athone  as  soon 
as  possible." 

"  And  ye  look  hungry,"  was  the  consoling  remark. 
"  Faith,  if  ye  has  been  in  the  mountains  all  night  long,  I 
don't  blame  ye  for  being  empty.  But  it's  little  I  has  here. 
A  poor  man  like  meself  don't  have  a  house  overflowing 
with  all  the  comforts  of  the  land." 

"And  why  do  you  live  here  all  by  yourself?"  asked 
Maurice.  "  It  must  be  hard  work  obtaining  food  at  such 
a  distance  from  town." 

The  owner  of  the  hut  gave  the  lieutenant  a  sharp  glance, 
as  if  to  take  his  measure,  and  then  replied, — 

"  Faith,  it's  as  well  to  starve  here  as  in  the  cities  and 
towns.  I  has  me  pratie-patch,  and  me  little  piece  of  bog 
for  turf,  and  what  more  can  I  want  ?  " 

"  Then  what  do  you  do  for  whiskey  ?  If  you  could 
manage  to  let  us  have  a  drop,  we  should  know  how  to  pay 
for  it,"  Maurice  hinted. 

"Whiskey,"  cried  the  Irishman,  in  astonishment.  "Devil 
a  drop  of  whiskey  has  I  seen  or  tasted  since  I  was  in 
Athone,  two  weeks  since." 

This  was  a  severe  blow  to  Murden  and  Maurice,  and  in 
fact  all  of  us,  for  we  felt  the  need  of  stimulants  after  all 
c'.ir  fatigue. 

"Athone  is  ten  miles  from  here,  you  say,"  Fred  re 
marked.  "  In  which  direction  ?  " 

The  Irishman  stepped  to  the  door  of  the  hut  and  pointed 
in  a  direction  directly  opposite  to  that  in  which  we  sup 
posed  Athone  to  lie. 

"  Ye  can  reach  it  in  two  hours'  time  if  ye  walk  fast 
tnough,"  our  host  said.  "  'Tis  but  a  trifle.  Ye  cross  two 


150        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

mountains  and  a  valley,  and  thar  ye  is.  Ye  know  Mclaugh 
lin's  house  —  don't  ye  ?  " 

No,  we  did  not  know  anything  about  McLaughlin's 
house.  We  had  never  heard  of  it. 

"  Well,  then,  ye  know  McGuire's  whate-field,  near  the 
pratie-patch  ?  " 

No,  we  did  not  know  anything  about  McGuire's  fields. 
The  Irishman  cast  a  look  of  contempt  at  us,  as  though  we 
were  most  too  ignorant  for  notice. 

"  Faith,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  think  ye  know  much  about  Ire 
land,  at  any  rate.  I  thought  most  any  one  knew  McGuire's 
land.  Where  did  ye  come  from,  now?  Answer  me  that, 
will  ye  ?  " 

"  Never  you  mind  where  we  come  from,"  was  the  an 
swer.  "  Just  get  us  something  to  eat.  Kill  two  or  three 
of  your  chickens  and  put  them  on  the  fire.  We  will  pay 
you  for  them." 

The  Irishman  looked  as  though  he  doubted  that  asser 
tion. 

"  Show  us  the  color  of  yer  money,"  he  said  ;  and  when 
each  of  us  exhibited  several  sovereigns,  the  man's  face  no 
longer  wore  a  doubtful  expression.  He  spoke  to  his  wife 
in  Irish,  and  the  old  lady  brightened  up  from  her  fog  of 
dirt,  and  even  made  an  attempt  to  smile  ;  but  of  course  it 
was  a  lamentable  failure.  There  was  no  breaking  through 
that  crust  of  smoke  and  grease,  which  had  been  years  in 
accumulating. 

But  the  sight  of  money  soon  made  the  Irishman  and 
his  wife  stir  around,  and  prepare  us  some  breakfast.  First 
they  induced  several  of  the  chickens  to  enter  the  hut,  by  a 
display  of  cold  potatoes  ;  and  when  the  biddies  were  cap- 
tured,  our  hostess  wrung  their  necks  with  great  composure, 
and  threw  them  into  a  pot  of  hot  water.  When  they  were 
taken  from  the  water  they  were  entirely  nude  of  feathers, 
and  needed  but  dressing  to  prepare  them  for  the  coals  of 
the  turf. 

While  breakfast  was  being  prepared,  we  left  the  hut  to 
the  smoke;  but  our  host  kept  us  company, 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  151 

watcherl  our  movements  as  carefully  as  if  he  had  been  em 
ployed  to  play  the  part  of  a  spy. 

"Do you  ever  see  any  Fenians  in  these  parts?"  I  asked 
the  Irishman,  as  we  started  towards  the  place  where  he  cut 
his  turf. 

"Divil  a  Fanian,"  was  the  reply.  "Sure  what  should 
they  corr.e  in  this  direction  for?  There's  no  one  here  but 
me  and  the  old  woman,  and  we  know  nothin'  about  the 
Fanians,  and  care  less." 

"  I  don't  think  you'll  find  it  pleasant  walkin'  this  way, 
at  all  at  all,"  our  host  said,  when  he  found  that  we  were 
strolling  towards  a  hill-side,  with  no  particular  object  in 
view.  "  The  bog  is  wet  jist  out  thar,  and  is  dangerous  to 
walk  on." 

Now,  where  we  were  at  the  time  the  ground  was  hard 
and  dry,  so  we  saw  no  occasion  for  the  warning.  I  looked 
up  and  saw  that  Fred  was  revolving  some  subject  in  his 
mind,  so  I  spoke  to  him  in  French,  and  said, — 

"  Our  host  seems  quite  anxious  to  keep  us  close  to  the 
hut.  What  do  you  suppose  is  his  reason  ?  " 

"I  have  been  thinking  of  the  matter,"  answered  Fred, 
speaking  in  French,  to  the  evident  distress  of  the  Irishman, 
who  could  not  understand  a  word  that  was  said,  conse 
quently  felt  that  we  were  talking  of  him. 

"  And  what  is  the  result  of  your  thoughts  ?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  believe  that  there  is  a  whis- 
k<  7  still  close  to  us,  and  that  this  fellow  is  the  proprietor  of 
it.  If  he  was  inclined,  he  could  give  us  a  £rink  without 
much  trouble." 

"  By  Jove,  I  think  the  same.  Let  us  push  on  and  make 
search  for  the  treasure ; "  and  giving  a  hint  to  our  compan 
ions  of  our  object,  we  strolled  along,  in  spite  of  the  Irish 
man's  objections,  and  soon  came  to  the  hill-side. 

"  Ah,  now,  don't  ye  hear  the  old  woman  callin'  ye  that 
the  chickens  is  ready?  Come  to  the  house,  and  don't  be 
wanderin'  about  in  the  bit  of  bog." 

"Put,"  I  said,  "we   shan't  return   until  we   find  some 


152        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

whiskey.  "We  know  that  there  is  a  lot  near,  for  we  smell 
it  in  the  air." 

Pat  uttered  a  howl  of  grief,  and  protested  by  all  the 
saints  in  the  calendar,  that  there  was  not  a  pint  of  whiskey 
this  side  of  Athone ;  but  we  did  not  believe  him,  and 
after  a  sharp  examination  we  pulled  aside  some  dried  grnss, 
and  there  we  saw  the  entrance  to  a  cave  in  the  hill-side, 
and  the  strong  smell  that  issued  therefrom  proved  that  we 
had  hit  upon  one  of  the  numerous  secret  stills  of  Ireland. 

"O  Pat,"  I  said,  "  how  could  you  tell  us  such  a  shocking 
lie  as  to  say  that  you  did  not  know  where  whiskey  was  to 
be  found  ?  " 

For  only  a  moment  was  the  fellow  confused.  Pie 
scratched  his  head,  and  an  idea  into  it  at  the  same  time. 

"  Faith,"  he  said,  "  it's  little  I  knew  that  this  was  here. 
I  niver  thought  it,  by  the  powers.  It  must  have  been 
owned  by  bad  men  what  lived  here  years  ago." 

We  entered  the  cave  and  found  the  still  in  working 
order,  and  a  fire  in  the  proper  place.  But  when  we  pointed 
out  these  things  to  the  Irishman,  he  swore  that  he  knew 
nothing  about  it,  and  continued  to  swear  to  that  effect, 
although  we  assured  him  that  we  were  not  gaugers,  or  in 
any  way  connected  with  the  police. 

Our  assurances,  however,  did  not  dispel  the  suspicions 
that  the  man  entertained,  and  in  his  own  mind  he  looked 
upon  his  still  as  lost  to  him  forever.  He  had  run  it  for 
several  years,  and  made  a  living  by  it,  and  no  one  had  sus 
pected  him  hi  that  dreary,  out-of-the-way  place,  for  but 
few  visitors  stumbled  upon  his  hut  in  the  course  of  the 
year. 

"  Come,  Pat,"  I  said,  as  we  helped  ourselves  to  a  measure 
of  the  regular  mountain  dew,  "  don't  look  so  disconsolate. 
We  will  pay  for  all  that  we  drink,  and  agree  to  say 
nothing  about  the  still.  We  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
peelers." 

"And  ye  will  mxt  tell  me  that  man  has  nothin'  to  do 
With  the  sojers,"  Pat  said,  pointing  to  Maurice.  "Sure, 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  153 

it's  many  times  I've  seed  him  at  the  head  of  his  red-coats 
ji  Queenstown.  Ye  can't  chate  me  wid  him,  I  know." 

We  could  not  deny  this;  but  then  we  explained  that 
Maurice  was  not  in  search  of  stills  at  the  time,  and  would 
hold  his  tongue  regarding  this  particular  one.  Pat  pre 
tended  to  be  satisfied,  but  I  had  some  doubt  of  his  sin 
cerity,  although  I  said  nothing  to  my  friends. 

We  returned  to  the  hut  in  the  best  of  spirits,  ready  for 
breakfast.  The  old  woman  received  us  with  a  savage  look 
of  disgust  at  our  inquisitiveness,  for  she  knew  that  we  had 
found  out  their  secret.  If  she  had  had  arsenic  in  the  hut, 
she  would  have  dosed  the  chickens  with  it,  I  have  no 
doubt,  and  thus  ended  us  and  her  anxiety  at  the  same 
time.  But  as  she  did  not  happen  to  have  any  poison,  we 
were  saved  for  some  other  fate,  good  or  bad. 

We  ate  the  chickens  with  as  much  relish  as  if  they  had 
come  from  the  hands  of  a  French  cook,  and  after  dispos 
ing  of  the  fowl,  attacked  the  potatoes,  and  ate  of  them 
until  hunger  was  satisfied ;  and  then  came  the  desire  for 
sleep,  for  we  were  awful  tired  with  our  tramps  and  excit 
ing  adventures  during  the  past  twenty-four  hours. 

"  Pat,  can  you  furnish  us  with  some  straw,  so  that  we 
can  lie  down  and  rest  until  afternoon  ?  "  I  asked. 

To  my  surprise,  the  Irishman  said  that  he  could  and 
would  give  us  all  that  we  wanted;  and  he  took  half  a 
dozen  armfuls  from  a  stack,  and  spread  it  in  the  hut,  and 
on  it  we  stretched  our  limbs,  and  soon  went  to  sleep. 

I  was  awakened  by  the  growling  of  Rover.  I  sat  up 
and  looked  around.  All  my  companions  were  asleep,  and 
the  Irishman  and  his  wife  were  not  in  the  hut;  neither 
could  I  hear  them  outside.  I  was  so  sleepy  and  tired  that 
I  only  spoke  to  Rover,  and  then  down  went  my  head,  and 
I  was  again  asleep  in  less  than  five  minutes,  only  to  be 
awakened  by  Rover's  licking  my  face. 

I  knew  that  the  dog  meant  something  this  time ;  so  I 
got  up  and  walked  to  the  door  and  looked  out,  and  there 
I  saw  a  sight  that  was  not  calculated  to  encourage  five 
unarmed  men. 


154        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  N  EUEOPE,  OB 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A.    SURPRISE.  —  A     PROPOSITION.  —  DEATH      OB     GOLD.  — « 

HEAVY     DEMANDS.  THE     ROPE     AND     THE     VICTIM.  — « 

TERMS     ACCEPTED. AN    INTERRUPTION. 

THE  first  thought  that  flashed  across  my  mind,  as  1 
looked  out  of  the  door,  was,  how  we  could  escape  from 
the  hut  without  detection ;  but  a  moment's  consideration 
satisfied  me  that  retreat  was  impossible.  The  hut  was 
surrounded,  and  at  the  head  of  the  column  of  advancing 
Fenians  was  no  less  a  man  than  Big  Mike  in  person ;  and 
—  confound  him!  —  he  and  his  companions  were  armed 
with  muskets,  clubs,  and  scythes  fastened  to  poles. 

The  Fenians,  I  supposed,  had  tracked  us  from  their 
secret  cave  to  the  hut,  and  for  a  moment  I  wondered  how 
they  had  managed  to  do  so;  but  just  as  I  was  about  to 
turn  away  and  awake  my  companions,  I  caught  sight  of 
Pat,  the  owner  of  the  hut,  and  I  had  no  doubt  but  that 
he  had  been  to  the  Fenians'  rendezvous,  and  then  led  them 
to  our  stopping-place,  thinking  that  we  could  be  captured 
while  fast  asleep. 

"Up,  friends!"  I  shouted,  in  a  tone  loud  enough  to 
awaken  my  companions.  "The  enemy  is  upon  us!" 

The  sleepers  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  came  to  the  door 
to  see  what  was  the  matter.  A  glance  was  enough  to 
satisfy  them  that  once  more  we  were  likely  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  Fenians. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Murden  and  Maurice  in  a 
breath.  "  Shall  we  make  the  best  defence  that  we  can  ? 
We  have  two  muskets,  and  can  do  some  little  damage 
with  them." 

But  a  glance  towards  the  place  where  we  had  left  tho 
muskets  showed  that  they  were  gone.  Pat  had  removed 
them  while  we  slept,  for  fear  we  should  damage  his  friends' 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  155 

consequently  we  were  entirely  defenceless,  not  even  hav 
ing  a  good-sized  knife  in  our  pockets. 

"We  must  submit,"  said  Maurice,  in  a  bitter  tone. 
"There  is  no  use  of  our  standing  up  and  fighting  those 
fellows  with  naked  hands.  There  is  no  show,  and  we 
may  as  well  surrender." 

We  agreed  that  such  a  course  was  the  best  one  that 
could  be  adopted,  and  we  felt  a  little  humiliated  to  think 
that  such  old  Australian  bushrangers  as  ourselves  should 
be  caught  in  such  a  trap,  like  a  rat,  without  a  chance  to 
retreat.  We  could  only  look  at  each  other,  and  smile  a 
ghastly  sort  of  smile,  and  wondered  where  our  wits  were 
when  we  went  to  sleep. 

When  the  Fenians  were  within  ten  or  fifteen  yards 
of  the  hut,  they  halted  for  a  parley,  and  then  Big  Mike 
hailed  us. 

"Now,  look  here,  gintlemen,"  Mike  said;  "it's  no  use 
for  yer  to  offer  violence,  and  kick  up  a  row.  We  is  strong 
enough  to  lick  the  life  out  of  yer,  and  ye  should  be  sinsi- 
ble,  and  know  it." 

"  We  do  know  it,  and  surrender,"  Fred  said.  "  It's  use 
less  to  resist  when  we  have  no  weapons  to  defend  our 
selves." 

The  Fenians  uttered  a  yell,  and  charged  towards  the 
hut,  and  the  next  instant  we  were  in  their  hands,  and  Pat 
was  dancing  around  us  like  a  madman,  and  asking  if  we 
didn't  want  to  poke  our  noses  into  some  more  secret  stills, 
and  then  go  and  inform  of  them,  like  mean  peelers  that 
we  were. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Fenian  leader,  as  our  hands  were  tied 
behind  our  backs,  and  he  surveyed  us  with  considerable 
satisfaction;  "ye  thought  ye  could  play  us  a  Yankee  trick 
—  did  ye?" 

"  We  left  your  cave,  if  that  is  what  you  mean,"  Fred 
said. 

"And  ye  didn't  wait  for  to  take  lafe  of  yer  dear  friends 
— -  did  ye  ?  "  Mike  asked. 

*  No,  we  did  not." 


156  THE   GOLD   HUNTEKS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

"  So  ye  thought  ye  would  snake  off  while  I  took  a  nap 
afore  the  fire." 

"  We  left  the  cave  while  you  were  asleep,  but  did  not 
eneak  off,  as  you  suggested,"  was  Fred's  reply. 

"And  ye  didn't  play  Yankee  tricks  on  the  sintinels — 
did  ye?" 

Here  there  was  a  howl  of  indignation  from  the  Fenians 
who  surrounded  us,  and  I  thought  I  recognized  in  those 
who  made  the  most  noise  the  men  whom  we  had  tricked 
while  on  guard. 

"Now  listen  to  me,"  said  Big  Mike,  in  an  impressive 
tone.  "I  wants  ye  to  tell  the  truth,  and  to  shame  the 
devil  if  ye  can.  Who  helped  ye  out  of  the  cave,  aiif"; 
give  ye  the  password  ?  Answer  that  if  ye  will." 

"Whoop!  let  'em  answer  that!"  was  the  general  cry, 
and  the  Fenians  looked  some  of  the  rage  that  they  felt. 

"We  shan't  reply  to  that  question,"  Fred  said,  in  a  firm 
tone. 

"Look  ye,"  Mike  exclaimed,  in  a  passionate  manner; 
"  no  man  betrayed  the  Fenians  yet,  but  got  paid  for  it  in 
the  long  run.  Pint  out  the  one  what  betrayed  us,  and  ah 
will  be  well ;  but  if  ye  don't,  by  the  blood  of  the  saints, 
one  of  ye  shall  die  the  death  of  a  dog ! " 

We  saw  that  the  man  was  in  earnest,  and  that  the  crew 
who  backed  him  up  were  in  earnest  also ;  but  still  we 
hoped  that  the  ruffian  would  not  dare  to  put  his  threat 
into  execution. 

"We  still  decline  to  involve  any  one  in  our  escape," 
Fred  said. 

"  Then,  by  the  piper  that  played  afore  Moses,  one  of  yes 
dies  like  a  dog;  ye  can  make  up  yer  mind  to  that  now." 

"You  dare  not  lay  hands  on  one  of  these  gentlemen," 
Maurice  said,  in  a  tone  of  such  indignation  that  all  of  Big 
Mike's  rage  was  turned  on  him. 

"  I  don't  dare  to,  hey?"  he  thundered.  "Who  are  you, 
that  talks  like  that  to  me,  the  representative  of  the  Feni 
ans  in  this  part  of  Ireland?  We  know  you,  and  we  knows 
what  you  has  done  wid  yer  sojers  in  Queenstown ;  and  let 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  157 

me  tell  yer  that  not  a  word  or  a  look  that  ye  has  given  the 
past  two  months  but  what  I  has  knowed,  and  now  ye  tell 
me  that  I  don't  dare  to  work  my  will  on  ye." 

If  the  Fenian  thought  that  he  was  likely  to  frighten 
Maurice,  never  was  man  more  mistaken,  for  the  lieutenant 
was  as  bold  a  fellow  as  could  be  met  with  in  all  Ireland ; 
and  while  he  listened  to  Mike's  speech  in  all  calmness,  he 
was  not  in  the  least  intimidated  by  it,  and  when  the  Fe- 
ninn  had  concluded,  he  merely  replied  he  supposed  there 
wasn't  a  man  in  the  whole  country  better  able  to  die  in 
the  cause  of  duty  than  himself,  and  that  if  it  was  desira 
ble  to  put  him  out  of  the  way,  it  had  better  be  done  at 
once. 

"By  the  powers,  at  once  it  shall  be,  then.  The  blood 
of  my  people  calls  for  yer  life,  and  don't  think  that  they 
will  fail  to  take  it  when  I  give  the  word." 

The  crowd  who  surrounded  us  uttered  a  howl,  which 
'showed  that  they  were  fully  up  to  the  point  required  for 
any  unlawful  deed.  In  fact,  Pat  had  distributed  to  them 
some  of  his  whiskey,  and  it  was  telling  on  them. 

"For  God's  sake,  keep  quiet,  Maurice,"  I  whispered, 
"  The  men  are  insane,  and  in  a  short  time  will  have  no 
control  over  themselves." 

"Let  the  ruffians  do  their  worst,"  was  the  answer.  "I 
will  not  quail  if  they  put  a  rope  around  my  neck." 

Maurice  did  not  speak  low,  as  I  intended  that  he  should ; 
so  Big  Mike  heard  him,  and  of  course  grew  more  and  more 
enraged. 

"  lie  calls  us  ruffians,  buys,"  Mike  yelled.  "  Will  we 
stand  it?" 

"  N"o  ! "  was  the  unanimous  cry,  and  I  saw  by  the  flash 
ing  eyes  that  the  Fenians  were  in  earnest,  if  ever  men 
were. 

"  A  rope,  a  rope  !  "  some  of  them  yelled,  and  then  com 
menced  a  search  for  one. 

"You  poor  fools,"  the  lieutenant  said,  "of  what  good 
to  a  rope,  when  not  a  tree  is  to  be  found  near  us  ? " 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  exasperate  the  men,"  Mur- 


158        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUEOPE,  OR 

den  pleaded.  "  It  will  do  you  no  good,  and  much  harm, 
perhaps." 

"  D — n  them,  let  them  do  as  they  please,"  was  all  the 
reply  that  the  soldier  made ;  and  then  we  saw  that  he  waa 
lost  unless  something  happened  in  the  shape  of  a  miracle 
to  preserve  him. 

Pat,  the  owner  of  the  house,  as  malignant  as  the  worst 
of  them,  because  he  thought  that  we  were  detective  police 
men,  on  the  lookout  for  just  such  illicit  stills  as  he  carried 
on,  found  the  rope  that  was  wanted,  and  put  it  in  Big 
Mike's  hands. 

"  There  is  the  tool,"  he  said.  "  Use  it  wisely.  Down 
with  all  traters  and  secret  spies,  what  tells  ye  one  thing 
and  does  another." 

Mike  tossed  the  rope  to  some  of  his  men,  who  were 
ready  for  it. 

"Use  it  on  the  sojer,"  he  said,  "and  don't  be  all  day 
about  it." 

Some  of  the  most  drunken  rushed  upon  Maurice,  but 
he  let  the  foremost  Fenian  have  a  blow  on  the  face  that 
sent  him  to  the  floor  with  a  thug  that  showed  what  a  hard 
hitter  the  soldier  was. 

"Stand  back!"  cried  Fred,  throwing  himself  between 
Maurice  and  the  hesitating  Fenians.  "Let  me  make  a 
proposition." 

The  men  stopped,  as  though  willing  to  talk  over  mat 
ters  ;  but  Maurice,  whose  blood  was  up,  told  them  to  come 
on  and  do  their  worst,  and  that  he  despised  them  because 
he  knew  they  would  run  if  he  had  half  a  dozen  of  his 
men  at  his  back. 

Of  course  this  was  rather  imprudent,  and  Maurice  would 
not  have  thought  of  such  a  course  had  he  always  remained 
in  the  police  force,  instead  of  entering  the  array.  In  tho 
former  position  he  would  have  temporized,  biding  his  time ; 
but  now  that  he  was  a  queen's  officer,  he  could  not  help  a 
little  feeling  of  aristocracy  and  contempt  for  the  unwashed 
people. 

"  Let  us  hear  what  the  proposition  is,"  Big  Mike  said, 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  159 

As  soon  as  Fred  had  spoken.  "Come,  we  is  rasonable — • 
ain't  we,  buys  ?  " 

The  boys  responded  that  they  were  reasonable  in  all 
things,  and  only  wanted  what  was  right. 

"Then  hear  me,"  Fred  continued.  "Release  our  friend, 
and  let  us  depart  unmolested,  and  we  will  give  you,  as 
goon  as  we  can  raise  the  money,  one  hundred  sovereigns.'' 

"  Hang  him  up,  buys,"  was  Mike's  reply  to  this  libera 
proposition. 

"  Two  hundred  sovereigns,"  Fred  continued,  when  ho 
found  that  his  first  proposition  was  rejected. 

"Hang  him  up,  buys,"  was  all  the  reply  that  Mike  ven 
tured  to  make,  although  on  the  scamp's  face  a  smile  was 
seen,  as  though  he  knew  his  power,  and  determined  to 
use  it. 

"  Don't  offer  the  blackguards  a  penny  more,"  Maurice 
said.  "  You  have  now  offered  them  more  than  I'm  worth. 
Let  the  brutes  do  their  worst.  My  death  will  be  avenged 
—  never  fear." 

"  We'll  run  the  risk  of  that.  Put  the  rope  around  his 
neck.  We'll  finish  one  of  the  enemies  of  Ireland,  at  any 
ra,te." 

The  Fenians  threw  themselves  upon  poor  Maurice,  in 
spite  of  his  resistance,  and  commenced  binding  his  arms 
behind  his  back.  If  we  had  offered  to  aid  him,  we  should 
have  been  cut  to  pieces  with  scythes,  or  else  mangled  witri 
their  muskets,  loaded  as  they  were  with  buck-shot,  for  the 
purpose  of  doing  all  the  damage  possible  at  one  discharge. 

Of  course  we  were  tempted  to  interfere.  We  could  not 
bear  to  see  an  old  and  gallant  friend  like  Maurice  carried 
off  and  hung  before  our  eyes,  and  we  powerless  to  resist. 
But  we  were  without  arms,  and  the  Fenians  outnumbered 
us  five  to  one,  and  powerful  fellows  they  were,  as  ready 
for  a  scrimmage  as  we  could  desire ;  so,  suppose  we  had 
determined  to  defend  Maurice,  it  would  have  been  useless 
on  our  part.  We  should  have  lost  our  lives,  and  the  lieu- 
tenant  would  not  have  been  better  off  for  the  sacrifice. 

But  we  showed  one  thing,  and  that  was  our  desire  to 


100  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUEOPE,   OR 

save  the  life  of  our  friend,  even  if  it  cost  us  dear ;  and 
when  the  Fenians  commenced  dragging  him  from  the  hut, 
Fred  cnce  more  interposed. 

"  Name  your  price,"  he  said,  "  and  save  his  life,  for  wo 
can't  stand  here  and  see  him  murdered." 

"Faith,  now  you  begin  to  talk  rasonable  like.  The 
man's  life  is  worth  somethin'  to  yer,  after  all.  Perhaps 
it's  more  value  to  yer  than  to  me  or  to  him.  Who  knows? 
Come,  tell  us  what  ye'll  do." 

"Name  your  price,  and  let  us  leave  for  Athone  at 
once." 

"  Wall,  now,  what  do  yer  think  he's  worth  —  a  fair  price, 
you  know  ?  Jist  enough  to  pay  us  and  the  buys  for  our 
trouble." 

"  Say  five  hundred  pounds." 

"Off  wid  him,"  cried  Mike,  in  a  burst  of  pretended 
indignation.  "  They  is  laughin'  at  us  and  our  soft  hearts." 

"  One  thousand  pounds,"  Fred  cried. 

"  Nonsense,"  Maurice  remarked.  "  I  won't  save  my  life 
at  such  a  sacrifice.  They  shan't  bleed  you  at  that  rate. 
Dogs  that  you  are,  take  my  life,  but  let  my  friends  keep 
their  money,  for  they  worked  hard  enough  for  it." 

"  Then  let  them  spend  it  asy,"  Mike  returned.  "  Faith, 
there's  no  better  cause  than  the  Fenian  cause,  and  there's 
no  better  men  than  the  Fenians.  Come,  ye  are  rich  'Mer- 
icans,  and  can  afford  to  pay  liberal.  -Don't  be  long  in 
thinkin'  of  the  matter;  for  time  is  precious  to  us." 

"  Name  your  price  and  be  d — d  to  you,"  rejoined  Fred, 
who  was  getting  cross  at  so  much  opposition. 

"Wall,  thin,  I'll  be  liberal  and  jist,  and  no  mistake. 
Plant  down  tin  thousand  pounds  in  goold,  and  the  bargain 
is  done." 

"Ten  thousand  devils!"  we  all  yelled,  with  one  accord, 
astonished  at  the  man's  demand,  which  was  a  sum  beyond 
our  immediate  control. 

"  Never  mind  me,  old  friends,"  the  lieutenant  said.  "  My 
life  is  not  of  much  value ;  and  as  for  its  being  worth  ten 
thousand  pounds,  I  don't  believe  it.  Let  them  hang  me 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  161 

and  be  d — d.     I  forbid  you  to  think  of  money  as  a  mean* 
of  saving  my  life." 

"Mike,"  I  said  to  the  Fenian  leader,  "you  ain't  serious 
in  your  demands  —  I  know  you  ain't.  We'll  call  this  a 
joke,  and  say  no  more  about  it ;  but  you  can't  think  of 
obtaining  such  a  sum  of  money.  Just  imagine  how  much 
ten  thousand  pounds  really  is." 

"  I  niver  was  more  sarious  in  my  life,"  was  the  reply 
"and  as  for  ten  thousand  pounds,  I  know  it's  a  big  pile ; 
but  then  you  'Mericans  never  travel  without  a  big  pile. 
Come,  jist  rason  a  little.  Here's  five  of  ye.  It's  two 
thousand  pounds  apace;  and  that's  little  enough  to  pay 
for  friendship  —  now  isn't  it?" 

"It's  more  money  than  we  can  command." 

"Thin  it's  mighty  unfortunate  for  the  soger  man.  I 
wish,  for  his  sake,  that  ye  was  rich  enough  to  buy  his  life ; 
but  as  ye  ain't,  why,  the  man  must  die.  I've  said  so,  and  I 
must  keep  my  word,  or  lose  all  control  of  tne  Duys.  It 
will  amuse  them,  and  won't  hurt  ye  a  bit." 

"You're  a  brute,"  I  said,  in  wrath  at  his  coldness  and 
cruelty. 

"  So  would  you  be  if  you  had  lost  as  much  as  I  have  in 
the  last  two  days.  My  Queenstown  still  has  been  seized 
by  the  peelers,  and  it's  all  through  your  means." 

"How  by  our  means?"  I  demanded. 

"Why,  our  folks  thought  you  was  the  four  he(J  sinters 
that  they  was  told  to  look  out  for,  that  was  comin'  from 
'Merica  with  lots  of  goold  arid  bills  of  exchange.  Will, 
they  was  bound  to  hold  on  to  yer,  after  they  had  once  took 
< harge  of  yer.  Our  folks  would  have  seed  yer  pulled  to 
pieces  and  trampled  under  foot  afore  they  would  havo 
gin  ye  up  to  the  sogers  unless  I  had  told  'em  to  keep  quiet, 
and  let  ye  go." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kindness ;  but  we  don't  deserve 
such  attention  at  your  hands." 

"I  know  it;  but  then,  ye  see,  I  soon  found  out  that  ye 
wan't  hed  sinters." 

"How  did  you  find  it  out?"  I  asked. 
11 


162  THE    GOLD    IIUNTERS    IN    EUR    TE,    OR 

*'  Wall,  ye  didn't  respond  to"  none  of  my  signs.  I  tried 
ye  wid  all  of  'em ;  but  devil  a  bit  of  notice  did  ye  take 
of  all  1  did." 

"  Then  why  didn't  you  let  us  go  in  peace  ?  " 

"  Because  I  wanted  to  make  money  out  of  ye ;  that's 
the  rason.  I  thought  there  was  a  chance  for  a  few  pounds, 
and  I  went  for  it;  and  here  I  am,  with  the  game  in  my 
own  hands ;  and  afore  I  parts  wid  ye,  I  shall  have  enough 
goJ  1  to  pay  for  my  still,  and  to  lave  the  country,  if  I  want 
to,  when  things  get  too  mixed." 

"  Not  a  cent  do  you  get  from  me,"  I  responded ;  for  I 
thought  that  the  fellow  was  bluffing,  and  would  not  dare 
to  carry  out  his  programme. 

"  Yes,  I  shall." 

"No,  sir;  not  a  penny." 

"  We'll  see,  my  buy." 

"  We  shall  see." 

"  Now  hear  me  ; "  and  the  man's  face  assumed  as  much 
ferocity  as  it  could  command.  "  I  shall  hang  the  soger 
man  unless  you  comes  down  wid  the  goold.  If  you  does, 
all  shall  go  clear.  If  ye  don't,  back  to  the  cave  ye  goes, 
and  I'll  take  good  care  that  none  escapes ;  for  I'll  starve 
ye  until  ye  do  come  down  with  the  money.  Now  I  mane 
what  I  say,  and  ye  can  lay  it  to  yer  heart  that  I'm  in  ear 
nest  ; "  and  with  these  words  Big  Mike  broke  away  from 
me,  and  joined  those  who  were  holding  Maurice. 

"Well,"  whispered  my  companions,  "what  does  the  fel 
low  say  ?  What  does  he  mean  ?  " 

"Death  or  gold,"  I  replied. 

"Had  we  better  combine  our  fortunes  and  pay  the 
money?"  asked  Fred.  "It  won't  ruin  us;  but  still  ten 
thousand  pounds  in  gold  is  a  large  sum." 

"  If  the  rascals  proceed  to  extremities,  we  must  save 
our  friend,  even  if  we  have  to  pay  the  money."  And  this 
was  agreed  to  without  a  dissenting  voice,  Hez  being  as 
anxious  as  the  rest  of  us  to  contribute  his  share  of  the 
ransom. 

Big  Mike  waved  his  hand,  and  a  malicious  grin  stole 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  162 

over  his  face  as  he  looked  at  us,  to  watch  the  effect  of  hia 
signal.  We  did  not  respond,  for  the  reason  that  we 
wanted  to  see  if  the  Fenian  leader  was  really  in  earnest, 
or  only  bluffing  for  the  sake  of  obtaining  our  money  with 
out  giving  us  a  chance  to  see  his  hand. 

The  Fenians  commenced  hustling  Maurice  out  of  the 
hut.  We  did  not  say  a  word  or  offer  to  interfere ;  but 
when  Maurice  reached  the  door,  he  intimated  that  he 
wanted  to  exchange  a  word  or  two  with  us,  and  Mike 
gave  him  permission,  under  the  impression,  probably,  that 
our  hearts  would  relent  if  we  conversed  with  our  friend, 
and  saw  that  we  could  save  his  life  at  a  sacrifice  of 
money. 

"  Good  by,  old  friends,"  the  lieutenant  said,  extending 
one  hand  as  well  as  he  was  able  for  the  bands  that  con 
fined  it  behind  his  back.  "  I  would  rather  have  died  like 
a  man  and  a  soldier,  than  been  hanged  by  these  ruffians. 
But  my  death  will  be  revenged  in  good  time  —  never  fear. 
I  would  not  have  you  gratify  the  fellows  so  much  as  to 
give  them  gold  for  my  life,  not  even  if  I  was  assured  they 
would  act  honestly  by  us,  which  I  don't  believe  they  would 
do.  D — n  them,  let  them  do  their  worst." 

"  Have  you  any  word  that  you  wish  to  send  to  friends  ?  " 
asked  Mike.  "  Now  is  the  time  for  yer  to  do  it,  for  yer 
will  niver,  no,  niver,  see  sunlight  agin." 

"Mr.  Murden  is  acquainted  with  all  the  friends  that  I 
have,"  was  the  doomed  man's  answer.  "When  he  returns 
to  Melbourne  he  will  tell  them  how  I  died,  and  for  what 
cause.  I  have  but  few  relatives,  and,  thank  God,  no  wife 
or  child  to  weep  for  me." 

"  Have  ye  done  ?  "  asked  Mike. 

"  Yes ;  I  have  said  all  that  I  desire  to,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Thin  we'll  hang  yer  in  the  most  approved  style.  Away 
wid  him,  buys." 

"Hold!"  cried  Fred,  just  as  the  Fenians  were  urging 
Maurice  towards  the  ridge-pol}  of  the  hut,  over  which  they 
had  thrown  a  rope. 

"We'll  pa;  the  money." 


164  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

The  Fenians  uttered  a  cheer,  and  the  cheer  was  re« 
sponded  to  by  the  blast  of  a  bugle,  and  looking  around 
we  saw  a  troop  of  cavalry  trotting  through  the  valley  and 
advancing  towards  us. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

6UBPRISED     FENIANS.  —  THE     PURSUIT. AN      ACQUAINT 
ANCE. FOR   DUBLIN. ANOTHER   ARREST. 

THE  blast  of  the  bugle  astonished  the  Fenians  as  much 
as  anything  could  astonish  them,  for  they  no  more  looked 
for  cavalry  in  such  a  place  than  they  did  for  a  large  body  of 
police ;  and  when  they  found  their  cheer  was  responded  to 
by  a  trumpet  call,  all  present  turned  to  look  at  the  soldiers 
and  see  what  they  were,  and  what  they  wanted;  so  for  the 
moment  the  lieutenant  was  forgotten.  In  fact,  the  Feni 
ans  had  dropped  the  rope  that  they  held,  with  which  they 
intended  to  hang  our  friend,  and  turned  their  attention  in 
another  direction. 

Fred,  ever  prompt  and  with  presence  of  mind,  ran  to 
Maurice  and  cut  the  bands  that  confined  his  arms,  and  the 
soldier,  furious  at  the  treatment  which  he  had  received, 
snatched  a  musket  from  the  hands  of  one  of  the  party, 
who  stood  near  him,  and  shouted,  — 

"Down  on  your  knees,  you  scoundrels,  and  ask  for 
ini-rcy.  Surrender,  every  one  of  you,  or  no  quarter  will 
be  given." 

"Wait  till  we  ax  for  it,"  was  the  reply  of  Big  Mike,  who 
was  still  bold  and  defiant.  "  There's  but  thirty  of  'em, 
buys,  and  we  numbers  forty.  Will  ye  stand  by  me  and 
drive  the  dogs  back  to  their  town  quarters?  We  can  do 
it  if  ye  will.  Remember  we  loses  our  gold  if  we  don't."- 

Half  a  dozen  of  the  boldest  of  Mike's  followers  responded 
to  his  appeal,  but  the  largest  portion  cast  anxious  glances 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  165 

over  their  shoulders,  to  see  if  the  >ay  for  retreat  was  still 
open.  They  evidently  had  no  desire  to  encounter  the 
well-disciplined  soldiers  of  the  queen's  array,  especially 
when  the  latter  were  armed  with  carbines  and  pistols,  and 
knew  how  to  use  them. 

"  Cowards  that  ye  are,"  hissed  Mike,  "  I'll  meet  'em  and 
fight  'em  single-handed.  Ye  never  had  so  good  a  chance 
to  obtain  goold,  and  jist  as  it  is  within  yer  reach  ye  throws 
it  away." 

In  the  mean  time  the  lieutenant  was  not  idle.  He  had 
called  on  the  Fenians  to  surrender,  but  they  were  too  con 
fused  to  pay  much  attention  to  what  he  said,  as  their  eyea 
were  on  the  advancing  cavalry,  watching  its  movements, 
and  preparing  to  make  a  run  for  the  mountains  as  soon  as 
the  command  for  a  charge  was  given. 

Suddenly  Maurice  broke  through  the  circle  that  sur 
rounded  him,  and  called  to  the  mounted  men. 

"Charge  the  cursed  rascals,"  he  shouted.  "They  are 
Fenians,  and  should  be  captured  to  a  man." 

Big  Mike  heard  the  words,  and  they  enraged  him.  He 
was  like  a  wild  bull,  disappointed  and  full  of  wrath.  He 
was  likely  to  lose  his  prisoners,  and  the  money  which  he 
had  counted  on  as  certain,  and  for  which  he  had  laid  all 
his  little  plans  so  that  failure  seemed  impossible.  At  our 
expense  he  meant  to  be  enriched  and  retire  from  active 
life,  and  when  he  saw  the  whole  fabric  which  he  had 
raised  about  to  be  swept  away  by  an  unexpected  blow,  his 
rage  got  the  better  of  his  discretion. 

"Let  them  charge,"  hissed  Mike.  "They'll  find  your 
dead  body  on  the  ground  to  begin  with;"  and  he  swung 
his  musket  over  his  head,  intending  to  let  it  fall  on  Mau 
rice's  neck  and  crush  him  instantly;  and  so  he  would  have 
done,  had  it  not  been  for  Rover.  The  hound  had  remained 
wonderfully  quiet,  in  obedience  to  a  signal;  but  still  Lo  did 
not  exactly  seem  to  understand  why  he  could  not  take  a 
hand  in  the  row  that  had  been  going  on,  and  more  thai; 
once  he  had  looked  at  me,  as  much  as  to  say  that  he  coulct 
clean  o» J;  three  or  four  of  the  party  if  permission  was  but 


166  TIIE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

accorded  to  him.  Fearful  of  his  life,  however,  I  h^d  not 
given  him  the  slightest  encouragement  to  show  his  strength 
and  courage ;  but  when  Mike  swung  his  musket  over  hia 
head,  and  I  saw  no  way  of  saving  Maurice's  life,  for  I  was 
some  yards  from  him,  except  by  the  aid  of  the  dog,  I  just 
pointed  to  Big  Mike  and  uttered  one  simple  word. 

"Go,"  I  said. 

With  a  mighty  bound  Rover  launched  himself  full  at 
the  throat  of  the  Fenian  leader,  and  before  the  musket 
could  descend  upon  Maurice's  head,  the  dog  had  pinned 
the  would-be  murderer  and  bore  him  to  the  ground. 

"Halloo,"  cried  Maurice,  looking  around,  and  for  the 
first  time  suspecting  his  danger.  "Rover  is  up  to  his  old 
tricks,  I  see.  I  am  indebted  to  him  and  his  master  for  my 
life.  Shake  the  d — d  scamp,  old  boy;  he  deserves  it." 

But  Rover  had  been  taught  different.  He  merely  held 
the  man  to  the  ground,  and  did  not  offer  to  injure  him  un 
less  he  moved,  and  that  Mike  was  not  inclined  to  do  after 
one  or  two  experiences  of  Rover's  temper. 

"  Call  off  the  dog,"  said  the  Fenian,  in  a  tone  that  showed 
he  was  not  confident  how  the  battle  would  terminate;  but 
no  one  paid  him  the  least  attention,  for  just  at  this  mo 
ment  the  cavalry  got  an  idea  into  their  heads  that  some 
thing  wrong  was  going  on  at  the  hut;  so  the  bugle  sounded 
a  charge,  and  on  came  the  horsemen  at  a  gallop. 

"Whoop!"  yelled  the  Fenians,  and  away  they  went  for 
the  mountains,  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them,  drop 
ping  their  guns  and  scythes  in  their  headlong  flight. 

Three  or  four  threw  down  their  weapons  and  took  refuge 
in  the  hut,  as  the  cavalry  came  up,  and  they  shouted  in 
unmistakable  terms  that  they  surrendered. 

"  After  them,  Fitzhugh,"  shouted  Maurice.  "  They're  all 
Fenians." 

The  officer  looked  his  astonishment  at  hearing  his  name 
called  by  one  of  our  party,  and  then  drew  up  and  left  his 
men  to  continue  the  pursuit. 

"The  devil,"  was  the  cavalry  man's  exclamation,  as  he 
dismounted  and  shook  hands  with  Maurice.  "  Who  would 


ROVER  AND  THE  FENIAN.  —  Page  166. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  167 

fla\e  thought  of  seeing  you  here  with  a  party  of  Feni« 
ans?" 

"I  don't  know  who  would  have  thought  it,"  was  the 
reply ;  "  but  here  I  am,  and  deuced  glad  to  see  you ;  for  you 
have  saved  ray  life,  or,  if  not  that,  my  friends'  pockets." 

"How  so?" 

"Why,  the  d — d  scoundrels  had  a  rope  around  my  neck, 
and  it  was  —  " 

"Neck  or  nothing?" 

"No;  it  was  neck  or  ten  thousand  pounds." 

"  Whew !  "  whistled  the  cavalry  man  ;  "  they  put  your 
value  rather  high.  I  hope  they  don't  place  so  great  an 
estimate  on  all  of  her  majesty's  officers.  If  they  do,  some 
of  us,  when  captured,  will  have  to  go  without  ransom,  I 
think." 

"  They  wiJl  unless  they  have  as  kind  friends  as  I  have," 
replied  the  lieutenant.  "These  gentlemen,  rather  than 
see  me  hanged,  resolved  to  pay  the  money  out  of  their  owr 
pockets." 

"The  devil!  It  is  worth  while  having  such  friends; 
and,  let  me  tell  you,  they  are  rather  scarce.  Introduce 
me." 

The  introduction  was  given,  and  after  it  was  over,  the 
cavalry  man  saw  that  his  soldiers  had  made  several  cap 
tures,  and  were  coming  towards  the  hut  with  their  pris 
oners.  Deeming  them  of  little  account,  the  officer  renewed 
his  conversation  with  Maurice. 

"I  was  sent  out  this  morning  to  look  for  you  and  the 
four  head  centres  who  escaped.  I  was  told  to  patrol  the 
country,  and  not  to  return  to  the  barracks  until  I  had 
picked  up  some  information." 

"And  what  sent  you  this  way?  I  never  was  more 
rejoic3d  to  see  you  than  I  am  to-day." 

"  Well,  I  mef.  a  gossoon  who  said  that  he  had  seen  a 
party  of  men  going  in  this  direction ;  so  I  followed  on, 
but  had  little  hope  of  meeting  a  companion  in  anr.s. 
Very  glad  I've  found  you,  though,  and  hope  you  will  do 
me  a  good  turn  some  day  or  other,  if  I  want  one,  although 


108        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IX  EUROPE,  OR 

I  have  no  fancy  for  a  rope  around  ray  neck.    It  looks  too 
much  like  your  money  or  your  life." 

"  Count  on  me,"  was  the  response. 

"By  the  way,"  said  the  cavalry  man,  "where  are  the 
head  centres  who  were  taken  from  the  train  with  you  ? 
The  lord  lieutenant  is  awful  anxious  about  them.  He  has 
telegraphed  in  all  directions,  and  has  offered  some  stunning 
rewards  for  them.  The  officer  who  captures  them  is  cer 
tain  of  promotion  without  purchase." 

"The  gentlemen  whom  has  .ordship  is  so  anxious  to 
find  are  here,"  replied  Maurice. 

"Thank  Heaven  for  that!     I  hope  they  are  safe." 

"O,  yes,  they  are  safe  enough,  now  that  you  have 
arrived." 

"I  don't  know  about  it.  Is  that  one  of  them  on  the 
ground,  with  the  hound  guarding  him?" 

"He  is  a  Fenian,  I  believe,  but  not  in  good  standing 
just  at  this  time." 

"Because  he  has  a  propensity  to  lying,  I  suppose;"  and 
the  cavalry  officer  laughed  at  his  little  joke,  as  though  it 
was  a  good  one. 

"To  be  candid,"  Maurice  said,  "the  four  gentlemen 
whom  I  have  just  presented  to  you  are  the  ones  whom  his 
lordship  is  so  anxious  to  capture.  They  are  the  terrible 
head  centres,  whose  landing  on  our  shores  was  to  shake 
Ireland  like  an  earthquake." 

The  cavalry  officer  did  not  know  exactly  what  to  say  in 
reply.  He  looked  at  our  party,  and  then  at  Maurice,  for 
an  explanation. 

"I  see  that  you  are  puzzled,"  the  lieutenant  said;  "but 
Fil  explain  matters  quite  readily.  These  four  gentlemen, 
as  I  telegraphed  h'*  lordship,  are  old  Australian  friends  of 
mine,  whom  I  can  trust  and  have  trusted  for  many  years. 
There  is  not  much  Fenianism  about  them.  The  whole 
row  is  an  absurd  one  —  a  mistake  from  beginning  to  end. 
The  Fenians  thought  they  had  caught  four  head  centres. 
The  police  and  our  folks  thought  they  had  recaptured 
them ;  and  so  the  news  travelled  all  over  the  country  by 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  16S 

the  aid  of  telegraphs,  and  I  suppose  that  at  this  moment 
all  England  is  frenzied  at  the  prospect  of  an  outbreak." 

"  Of  course  you  know  your  friends,  Maurice,"  the  cav 
alry  officer  said ;  "  but  still  his  lordship  is  so  suspicious 
that  only  a  personal  interview  will  satisfy  him  that  all  is 
right.  Now,  the  best  thing  that  you  can  do  is  to  proceed 
to  Dublin  as  soon  as  possible,  and  lay  the  whole  facts 
before  him.  What  do  you  say  to  my  proposal  ?" 

"  It  is  sensible,  although  I  suppose  my  lord  will  pick  a 
bone  with  me  for  being  surprised ;  but  how  was  I  to  know 
that  my  men  would  get  drunk  ?  " 

"To  be  sure.  Soldiers  will  drink  whiskey  when  they 
can  obtain  it." 

"  And  as  for  the  rescue,  the  best  officer  in  Ireland  could 
not  have  prevented  it,  unless  he  had  more  information 
than  myselfl  It  was  the  first  case  of  the  kind,  but  won't 
be  the  last  if  the  Fenians  continue  to  increase  in  strength 
as  they  have  for  the  last  six  months." 

"Never  mind,"  said  the  cavalry  officer,  in  a  consoling 
tone ;  "  we  have  made  a  strike  in  capturing  some  of  the 
men  who  stopped  the  car,  and  that  will  go  a  great  ways 
with  his  lordship.  Here  come  my  men  with  a  dozen  pris 
oners.  I  will  dismount  half  a  dozen  of  my  followers,  and 
you  can  take  their  horses  and  ride  to  Athone.  There 
leave  the  animals,  and  take  a  jaunting-car  to  the  next 
station,  and  before  night  you  can  be  in  Dublin." 

"  A  thousand  thanks  !  I  could  not  ask  for  more.  You 
will  look  after  the  prisoners,  and  at  the  same  time  take 
care  of  the  secret  still,  which  you  will  find  in  yonder  hill- 
Bide.  The  owner  is  with  the  Fenians,  and  betrayed  us  to 
them.  For  that  he  deserves  no  mercy." 

Just  then  up  came  the  soldiers  with  what  prisoners  they 
had  captured.  There  were  a  dozen  of  the  latter,  and  very 
sulky  they  looked  at  their  position ;  but  there  was  not  a 
man  of  them  who  took  his  punishment  so  much  at  heart 
as  Big  Mike,  now  released  from  the  guardianship  of  Rover, 
and  allowed  to  stand  erect,  but  with  his  hands  confined 


170   «  THE   GOLD   IIUNTEES   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

behind  his  back  for  fear  he  might  do  some  little  mischief 
in  his  desperation  and  great  strength. 

"You  see,  Mike,  how  the  tables  have  turned,"  Maurice 
said,  while  the  soldiers  were  securing  their  prisoners. 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  was  the  sullen  reply. 

"Now,  answer  me  one  question,"  Maurice  continued. 
"Did  you  intend  to  hang  me  as  you  threatened  to  do  ?" 

"  On  my  soul,  no,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  meant  to  frighten 
yer  into  pay  in'  a  ransom,  and  arter  I  had  the  goold,  I  should 
have  let  yer  gone." 

"  Are  you  speaking  the  truth,  Mike  ?  " 

"  By  the  bones  of  St.  Patrick  I  am,  sir.  May  I  never 
hope  to  drink  whiskey  agin  if  I  ain't  tellin'  yer  jist  the 
whole  truth,  and  no  more.  I  should  have  made  yer  feel 
the  weight  of  the  rope,  and  perhaps  pulled  it  a  little ;  but 
on  the  honor  of  an  Irish  gintleman,  I  would  not  have 
choked  yer  life  out." 

"Then,  Mike,  I'll  remember  you  on  your  trial,  and  see 
that  you  are  not  punished  too  severely,"  Maurice  said. 

"  Thank  ye  for  nothin',"  was  the  reply.  "  It  don't  mat 
ter  much  the  year  or  two  that  ye  could  get  taken  from  my 
sentence.  It's  little  I  has  to  hope  from  in  any  court,  with 
its  packed  juries,  in  Ireland.  I'm  a  convicted  man,  sir, 
afore  I'se  tried.  Well,  better  luck  to  the  men  who  comes 
arter  me,  and  may  they  live  to  see  Old  Ireland  free  from 
the  rule  of  the  English." 

"  You  haven't  much  time  to  spare,"  said  Fitzhugh.  "  Bet 
ter  mount  and  be  off  as  soon  as  possible.  I'll  send  a  man 
to  guide  you  to  Athene.  It's  not  more  than  five  miles 
by  a  bridle-path." 

We  took  the  hint,  and  mounted  the  cavalry  horses,  and 
then  bade  farewell  to  Fitzhugh,  and  followed  the  lead  of  a 
little  ragged  gossoon,  who,  bareheaded  and  bare-footed,  ran 
before  us  with  the  speed  of  a  race-horse,  and  never  tired, 
up  hill  or  d*»wn,  over  plains  or  through  deep  valleys  where 
lurked  treacherous  bogs ;  and  to  be  ingulfed  in  one  of 
them  was  to  be  lost,  unless  assistance  was  at  hand. 

Through    the    bogs    the    gossoon   conducted    us    iinti. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  17 1 

faltering  or  missing  his  way ;  and  after  an  hour's  hard  ride, 
we  reached  the  little  hamlet  of  Athene,  where  wt,  found 
something  to  eat,  and  were  enabled  to  hire  a  jaunting-car 
for  the  nearest  station. 

We  stabled  the  cavalry  horses  as  directed,  gave  our 
guide  a  gratuity  that  made  him  yell  with  delight,  and  by 
two  o'clock  we  were  on  our  way  to  the  station  as  fast  as  two 
horses,  driven  by  the  most  reckless  driver  in  all  Ireland, 
could  carry  us. 

Up  hill  and  down  we  went  at  a  gallop.  Each  moment 
1  feared  that  a  wheel  would  come  off,  or  that  the  car  would 
collapse  and  tumble  to  pieces.  How  it  held  together  was 
a  wonder  to  me.  It  was  loose  in  all  its  joints,  and  it 
swayed  from  side  to  side,  as  though  determined  to  go  on 
its  beam-ends  and  never  right  again.  From  the  top  of 
a  mountain  to  the  bottom,  on  roads  that  were  unworthy 
of  the  name,  it  seemed  as  though  the  driver  could  not  urge 
his  horses  fast  enough.  He  made  no  attempt  to  check 
them,  even  when  we  had  to  turn  a  sharp  corner ;  and  how 
the  animals  kept  their  feet,  with  so  much  pressure  behind 
them,  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  Ireland.  Had  he  met  a 
team  coming  from  the  opposite  direction,  nothing  could 
have  saved  us  from  total  destruction,  for  a  collision  would 
have  sent  us  flying  over  a  precipice  two  or  three  hundred 
feet  high. 

Two  or  three  times  we  urged  the  driver  to  hold  up ;  but 
perhaps  he  misunderstood  us,  for  he  only  shouted  tho 
louder ;  so  we  concluded  to  hold  on  and  remain  silent  for 
the  rest  of  our  journey,  as  Maurice  informed  us  that  going 
down  hill  at  such  a  run  was  a  playful  custom  of  the  coun 
try,  and  that  drivers  always  strove  to  see  how  near  they 
could  kill  their  passengers  and  yet  keep  them  alive  at  the 
Bame  time. 

Thank  fortune,  at  length  we  arrived  at  the  railroad  sta 
tion.  As  we  drew  up  with  a  flourish  and  a  yell,  the  wild 
driver  turned  to  us  with  a  face  that  expressed  some  satis 
faction  at  the  rapidity  of  our  journey. 

"  Ah,  yer  honors,  what  does  ye  think  of  that  for  fast 


172        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUBOPE,  OB 

fravellin'?  Ain't  it  worth  a  little  somcthin'  in  drink 
money?  Sure,  there  ain't  a  gossoon  in  all  Ireland  that 
can  do  what  I  can  with  hosses." 

We  were  glad  to  give  him  a  half  crown,  a  portion  of 
which  he  immediately  invested  in  whiskey ;  but  before  he 
had  drank  all  the  money  the  train  arrived,  and  once  more 
"we  started  on  our  way  to  Dublin,  which  we  reached  with 
out  the  least  trouble. 

"  You  had  better  go  to  the  Pride  of  Dublin,"  Maurice 
said,  as  we  entered  the  depot.  "It  is  the  best  hotel  in  the 
city,  and  has  the  best  company.  I  must  go  to  the  Castle 
and  report,  and  as  soon  as  I  have  explained  matters,  I'll 
join  you.  I  may  be  gone  an  hour,  and  perhaps  two ;  it 
will  all  depend  upon  how  soon  I  can  get  an  audience 
with  the  lord  lieutenant.  I'll  take  a  cab  and  be  off  at 
once,  while  you  had  better  walk  to  the  hotel  and  save  ex 
pense.  The  house  is  but  a  short  distance  from  here,  and 
any  one  will  show  you  the  way." 

He  meant  the  advice  to  be  good,  but  it  was  not,  unfor 
tunately.  However,  the  lieutenant  entered  the  cab  and 
was  off,  and  we  commenced  our  search  for  the  Pride  of 
Dublin.  We  had  to  inquire  of  but  one  person,  a  bluff, 
hearty-looking  man,  with  an  English  face  and  a  cattle- 
drover  aspect.  He  said  he  knew  where  the  house  was,  and 
would  walk  along  and  show  it  to  us,  and  he  did ;  and  while 
thus  engaged,  he  asked  more  questions  than  a  Yankee. 

If  he  appeared  astonished  when  informed  that  we  had 
just  arrived  at  Queenstown  from  the  United  States,  I 
can't  imagine  what  his  sensations  were  when  Murden 
happened  to  allude  to  Australia,  and  claim  that  country 
as  his  adopted  home. 

"  All  the  way  from  Australia,"  repeated  the  man.  "  Only 
think  what  a  long  distance  it  is  from  here,  and  how  anx 
ious  you  must  have  been  to  see  Ireland,  to  come  such  a 
journey." 

"  What  is  there  in  that  so  wonderful  ?  "  demanded  Mur 
den,  in  a  tone  that  showed  he  didn't  like  the  manner  of 
our  acquaintance. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  173 

u  O,  nothing,  sir.  I  only  thought  you  must  love  Ireland, 
to  come  to  see  it  after  such  a  long  absence.  I'm  sure  I 
love  Ireland,  and  every  Irishman  had  ought  to  love  her." 

"  But  I  ain't  an  Irishman,"  snarled  Murden. 

"  Well,  sir,"  with  a  laugh,  "  that  is  no  reason  why  you 
shouldn't  love  Ireland;"  and  then  the  drover-looking  man 
said  no  more  until'  we  reached  the  hotel,  when  he  left  us, 
even  declining  to  take  a  drink  for  his  courtesy,  and  refus 
ing  to  come  in  and  smoke  a  cigar. 

We  had  no  trouble  in  obtaining  rooms,  and,  after  a  bath, 
ordered  dinner,  and  were  just  about  to  sit  down  to  it,  when 
the  person  whom  we  had  asked  to  show  us  the  way  to  the 
hotel  entered  the  dining-room,  and  came  towards  us. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  in  a  low  tone,  "  I  don't  want  to 
give  you  trouble,  or  to  cause  you  the  least  uneasiness ;  but 
let  me  inform  you  that  I'm  a  detective,  and  that  I  arrest 
you  for  being  head  centres  of  the  Fenian  organization." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

CHAMPAGNE    AND    WHISKEY    PUNCH.  —  ON    OUR    WAT    TO 
THE    CASTLE. AN    AUDIENCE    WITH    HIS    LORDSHIP. 

I  THINK  that  four  gentlemen  uttered  four  distinct  oaths 
when  the  person  whom  we  had  taken  for  an  honest  Eng 
lish  drover  informed  us  that  we  were  under  arrest  on  the 
charge  of  being  head  centres  of  the  Fenian  organization. 
The  man  was  a  detective,  and  thought  that  he  had  made 
a  wonderful  discovery. 

"  Now  don't  let  us  have  any  fuss  about  this  thing,"  the 
detective  said,  in  a  low  tone,  so  that  none  of  the  servants 
or  any  one  in  the  dining-room  could  hear  him.  "I  don'j 
want  to  make  trouble,  and  I'll  do  my  duty  in  the  most 
pleasant  manner." 

We  looked  at  the  detective,  and  then  at  each  other, 


174        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

uncertain  whether  to  laugh  or  to  get  into  a  passion 
swear  at  the  man  for  his  officiousness. 

"  Ah,"  suddenly  cried  the  detective,  "  none  of  that.  It 
won't  do,  I  assure  you.  I  have  a  dozen  men  near  at  hand, 
to  assist  me  in  case  I  want  assistance.  Resistance  is  use- 
46ss,  as  you  had  ought  to  know ;.  so  don't  make  any  fuss 
about  it." 

This  remark  was  called  out  on  the  ground  that  Hopeful 
had,  in  the  most  innocent  manner,  put  his  right  hand  into 
his  breast  pocket,  in  search  of  a  handkerchief,  his  nose 
requiring  a  little  delicate  attention;  but  the  officer  sup 
posed  that  a  revolver  was  being  searched  for,  and  so  gave 
us  what  he  supposed  a  fair  warning  not  to  enter  into  a 
deadly  struggle,  for  if  we  did,  we  should  get  the  worst 
of  it. 

"Don't  you  be  afeard,"  Hopeful  said,  addressing  the 
officer.  "  We  ain't  a-goiu'  to  hurt  you,  and  I  is  sure  we 
don't  want  to.  I  hain't  got  such  a  thing  as  a  revolver 
about  me,  and  neither  has  my  companions." 

"  It  wouldn't  make  any  difference  to  me,"  replied  the 
detective,  "  whether  you  had  a  revolver  in  every  pocket 
of  your  clothes.  I  have  orders  to  arrest  you,  and  I  shall, 
even  if  all  the  Fenians  in  the  city  rise  and  protest  against  it." 

"  Heaven  forbid  ! "  cried  Fred,  with  a  laugh  that  made 
the  Englishman  open  his  eyes  in  astonishment.  '*'We 
have  seen  all  the  Fenians  that  we  desire  to  see  for  a 
mont.i  at  least." 

"  Amen ! "  cried  the  rest  of  us  in  chorus,  and  with  a 
laugh  so  cheerful  that  the  detective  made  a  sign  to  hia 
subordinates,  at  different  tables  in  the  room,  to  be  pre 
pared  for  an  outbreak  at  once. 

"  Come,  Mr.  Officer,"  said  Fred,  as  soon  as  he  had  con 
cluded  his  laugh,  "you  don't  look  like  a  bad-natured  man, 
and  I  am  sure  you  will  have  mercy  — " 

"  I  can't  promise,  unless  you  will  make  a  full  confes 
sion,"  cried  the  officer,  eagerly.  "  Tell  me  all  you  know. 
arid  I'll  see  what  can  be  done." 

"We  will,"  responded  Fred.    "But  let  me  finish  my 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  175 

sentence.  In  the  first  place  you  will  have  mercy  on  our 
stomachs,  for  we  are  awful  hungry." 

The  detective  nodded.  He  sympathized  with  us  in  our 
hunger,  for  was  he  not  an  Englishman  ? 

"In  the  second  place,"  continued  Fred,  "to  prove  to 
you  that  we  want  our  dinner  very  much,  we  invite  you 
to  dine  with  us  at  this  table." 

The  detective's  eyes  softened.  He  loved  a  good  dinner 
and  a  bottle  of  wine.  He  began  to  think  that  we  were 
human,  after  all. 

'•And  if  I  comply  with  your  request,"  the  man  said, 
"\fill  you  pledge  your  word  as  gentlemen  that  you  will 
not  play  me  a  Yankee  trick  with  my  food  ? " 

We  laughed  and  promised. 

"  And  will  you  pledge  your  word  that  you  will  make  no 
effort  to  escape,  or  to  raise  a  confounded  row  and  a  rescue?" 

Just  then  one  of  the  waiters  placed  the  soup  on  the  table. 
It  smelt  so  good  that  it  almost  made  us  frantic. 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  promise,"  all  cried,  with  one  accord.  "  Sit 
down  and  fall  to  like  a  man." 

Down  into  a  seat  dropped  the  detective,  as  though  he 
had  been  shot  through  the  heart,  and  dinner  commenced. 

"Waiter,  what  kind  of  champagne  do  you  keep  on 
hand?"  asked  Fred. 

"  The  best  in  Ireland,  sir,"  was  the  prompt  answer. 

"  Bring  us  some,  and  see  that  it  is  well  iced." 

"Yes,  sir;"  and  with  the  meat  came  the  champagne. 

The  wine  circulated  freely.  It  touched  the  heart  of 
the  detective,  and  opened  that  wonderful  organ,  and  when 
he  heard  us  give  an  order  for  a  bowl  of  whiskey  punch, 
he  could  no  longer  contain  his  enthusiasm. 

"  Hang  me ! "  he  cried,  striking  his  fist  on  the  table,  "  I 
don't  care  whether  you  are  Fenians,  or  what  you  are,  but 
you  are  just  the  jolliest  set  of  men  that  I've  met  with  in 
Ireland,  and  I  say  it's  a  confounded  pity  that  I've  got  to 
look  arter  you  and  take  you  to  the  Castle." 

"  Must  you  do  so  ?  "  we  asked.  "  We  don't  care  aboin; 
the  arrest,  of  course,  but  still  it  is  vexatious  to  be  arraigned, 


176  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN  EL'KOPE,   OB 

and  made  to  explain  matters.     Besides,  our  passports  are 
on  board  the  steamer." 

The  detective  winked,  as  though  it  was  a  good  joke  on 
our  part  to  say  so. 

"  Of  course  they  are  out  of  your  possession,"  he  said, 
"and  perhaps  it  would  be  as  well  if  all  your  papers  were 
beyond  reach.  Mind  you,  I  don't  say  anything,  or  hint ; 
but  stil*  you  know  best." 

The  punch  was  opening  the  heart  of  the  detective,  that 
was  certain ;  and  I  don't  kno>v  but  what  if  we  had  asked 
that  one  of  us  should  escape,  he  would  have  consented. 
The  detective's  confederates,  who  were  in  the  room,  and 
dining  at  their  own  expense,  did  not  like  the  appearance 
of  things,  and  cast  angry  glances  at  our  captor,  because  he 
happened  to  be  enjoying  himself. 

"  We  must  make  a  move,"  said  the  detective,  who  was 
oblivious  to  looks  until  the  last  drop  of  punch  was  gone. 
"  Time  is  on  the  wane,  and  I  see  that  some  of  my  fellows 
are  anxious  for  a  start.  If  you  have  no  objection,  gents, 
we  will  go  up  to  the  Castle,  and  see  what  the  big  wigs 
have  to  say.  I  wish  that  I  could  do  better  by  you,  hang 
me  if  I  don't ;  for  I  have  taken  a  fancy  to  you  fellows,  and 
think  that  you  had  ought  to  be  in  better  business  than 
lighting  up  the  slumbering  fires  of  Fenianism."  And  with 
this  concluding  remark,  just  eloquent  enough  to  smell  of 
whiskey  punch,  the  detective  got  on  his  'feet,  and  we  fol 
lowed  his  example. 

When  we  arose,  all  the  secret  police  in  the  room  did 
the  same.  They  pretended  not  to  take  notice  of  us,  but 
we  had  seen  enough  of  police  life  in  Australia  to  under 
stand  all  the  little  arts  and  tricks  of  the  trade. 

We  passed  out  of  the  dining-room,  and  met  the  head 
waiter  on  the  threshold.  He  looked  a  little  serious,  for  he 
was  an  Irishman,  and  therefore  hated  the  police.  Perhaps 
he  suspected  more  than  he  was  willing  to  sho*v,  for  ho 
eaid,  — 

"  Do  ye  slape  here  to-night,  gents  ?" 

We  laughed,  and  replied, — 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  17 1 

<:  That  depends  on  circumstances.  Keep  our  rooms  foi 
us,  aad  you  may  see  us  come  back." 

"Thin,  under  the  circumstances,  yer  honors,"  said  tho 
head  waiter,  with  a  look  at  the  detective,  "perhaps  ye 
would  jist  as  lives  settle  yer  little  bill  afore  ye  goes.  Ye 
may  niver  return,  and  thin,  ye  know,  the  house  would  be 
out  so  much." 

We  laughed  at  the  man's  shrewdness,  and  the  detective 
also  smil(,d. 

"  You  think  I'm  a  dangerous  man  —  don't  you,  Jerry  ?  " 
the  officer  asked. 

"Faith,  I  could  do  without  yer  company,  and  niver  feel 
lonesome.  It's  little  sorrow  I  should  have  if  I  niver  saw 
yer  face  agin.  It's  bad  for  Ireland  when  the  likes  of  ye 
can  roam  round  the  streets  and  devour  all  who  would  see 
her  free." 

We  saw  that  a  row  would  soon  ensue  if  the  conversa 
tion  continued,  so  went  to  the  office  and  paid  our  bills, 
and,  while  slipping  a  gratuity  into  the  hands  of  the  head 
waiter,  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  him  whisper  to  us, — 

"  Say  but  the  word,  and  I'll  get  up  a  party  of  boys  that 
will  take  ye  out  of  the  hands  of  the  police  afore  ye  reach 
the  Castle.  Bad  luck  to  'em,  but  they  is  a  bad  set,  at  any 
rate." 

"  Keep  cool,  Jerry,"  I  replied.  "  No  harm  will  come  to 
us,  be  assured.  They  can't  prove  anything  against  us." 

"  Ah,  ye  don't  know  how  the  mane  thieves  can  buy  the 
evidence  to  convict,"  replied  Jerry,  with  a  sigh  and  a 
threatening  look 'at  the  officer. 

Fearful  that  the  man  would  get  into  trouble,  we  left  the 
hotel  as  soon  as  possible,  and  took  a  jaunting-car  for  the 
Castle,  our  escort  following  behind,  with  the  exception  of 
the  detective,  who  rode  with  us. 

We  entered  the  Castle  yard,  and  were  received  with 

considerable  attention,  for  there  were  a  dozen  red-coated 

soldiers  drawn  up  in  line,  as  though  they  had  expected  us. 

Lights  were  seen  in  all  parts  of  the  Castle,  and  mounted 

12 


178        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IX  EUEOPE,  OK 

orderlies  entered  and  departed  in  hot  haste,  as  if  business 
of  importance  was  before  them. 

"  Are  these  the  prisoners,  Mr.  Officer  ?  "  asked  some  one 
in  authority,  as  we  left  the  jaunting-car. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  these  are  the  persons  whom  I  suspected  of 
being  head  centres." 

"  All  right.  His  lordship  desires  their  presence  \mme- 
diatcly.  Are  they  unarmed  ?  " 

«  Yes,  sir." 

"Be  sure  on  that  point.  This  is  no  time  for  careless 
ness,"  the  officer,  who  appeared  to  be  an  aid  to  the  lord 
lieutenant,  said. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,"  cried  Fred.  "  We  did  not  land  on 
these  shores  for  the  purpose  of  committing  assassination ; 
so  his  lordship  can  see  us  without  the  least  danger." 

"  If  you  didn't  visit  Ireland  for  the  purpose  of  commit 
ting  outrages,  why  did  you  come  here  ?  "  the  aid  asked,  in 
a  tone  that  showed  he  was  a  thorough-going  Englishman, 
with  a  hearty  contempt  for  all  who  were  not  so  well  favored 
as  himself. 

"We  desired  to  see  the  country.  As  Americans,  we 
take  considerable  interest  in  Ireland." 

"  More  fools  you,"  I  heard  the  officer  mutter  to  himselfj 
and  then  aloud,  "  Ireland  would  be  a  prosperous  and  con 
tented  country  if  Americans  would  but  let  her  alone,  and 
not  attempt  to  stir  up  revolutions." 

"  Suppose  you  Englishmen  should  make  an  attempt  to 
see  how  prosperous  Ireland  could  be  by  a  few  just  laws 
and  just  treatment,"  Fred  said. 

The  aid  gave  my  friend  a  look  of  quiet  contempt,  which 
was  intended  to  annihilate  him;  but  it  didn't,  for  sorne» 
reason  or  other,  and  then,  finding  that  Fred  was  not  quito 
finished,  or  so  ashamed  as  not  to  hold  up  his  head,  the  aid 
said,  — 

"  I'm  not  here  to  argue  with  you  on  state  questions  n 
\  >litical  economy ;  but  let  me  give  you  a  piece  of  advice." 

u  We  shall  be  very  thankful  for  it,  I'm  sure,"  Fred  re- 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE,  179 

plied,  with  a  bow  and  a  tone  that  it  was  impossible  to  tell 
whether  he  was  serious,  or  poking  fun  at  the  Englishman. 

"  Well,  sir,  when  in  the  presence  of  his  lordship,  don't 
pretend  to  argue  such  points  with  him.  If  you  do,  the 
worst  for  you.  He  is  not  in  the  habit  of  listening  to  suet 
men." 

"  Take  his  advice,"  whispered  the  detective,  who  had 
stuck  to  us  all  this  time,  yet  had  not  dared  to  utter  a  word, 
for  fear  of  the  consequences.  "  Get  out  of  it  the  best  way 
that  you  can." 

"  Suppose  we  compel  his  lordship  to  listen  to  us,"  Fred 
said,  still  keeping  good-natured,  and  quite  calm  and  cool. 

"  Sir !  "  the  aid  hissed. 

"Don't  talk  in  that  way,"  whispered  the  detective.  "For 
God's  sake,  be  a  little  civil.  You  don't  know  what  you 
are  doing  or  saying.  It's  all  my  fault,  in  allowing  you  to 
drink  so  much  punch.  It  has  gone  into  your  heads." 

Fred  took  no  notice  of  the  detective's  appeal. 

"  Yes,"  continued  Fred,  still  addressing  the  astonished 
aid,  "  we  shall  tell  his  lordship  some  home  truths,  and  per 
haps  they  will  make  an  impression  on  him.  We  have  been 
molested  enough,  while  in  Ireland,  to  bankrupt  your  coun 
try,  provided  we  were  paid  for  all  the  trouble  that  we  have 
experienced.  Now,  three  of  us  claim  to  be  honest  Ameri 
can  citizens,  and  the  fourth  one  is  a  subject  of  the  queen, 
and  knows  his  own  rights." 

"  Yes,"  cried  Murden,  in  a  sudden  burst,  "I'm  an  Aus 
tralian,  and  know  what  is  right  as  well  as  the  next  man, 
Yankee  or  Englishman." 

"A  ticket-of-leave  man,"  suggested  the  aid,  with  usneei, 

"  IV!  break  your  cussed  head  for  you,  if  you  were  out 
side  the  Castle  walls,  where  you  could  not  call  for  the 
assistance  of  the  soldiers,"  Murden  said,  in  a  burst  of 
mighty  indignation.  "D — n  your  e^es,  who  do  you  think 
lam?" 

"  By  your  language,  an  escaped  convict,"  was  the  reply 
of  the  officer,  short  and  sharp. 

Murden  sprang  for  the  aid,  and  would  have  struck  him, 


180       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

if  Fred  and  I  had  not  held  the  indignant  commissioner, 
and  prevented  the  blow. 

"Don't  hold  me,"  said  the  indignant  Australian.  "Let 
me  alone.  I  want  to  revenge  the  insult  that  I  have  re 
ceived.  Why,  the  cussed  popinjay!  I  could  kick  him 
from  one  end  of  the  Castle  yard  to  the  other,  with  both 
Lands  tied  behind  my  back." 

"  We  know  you  could,"  Fred  said,  trying  to  suppress  his 
laughter  at  the  astonishment  which  the  aid  manifested  at 
hearing  Murden's  outbreak,  and  continued :  — 

"  Don't  you  mind  him.  He  don't  know  yon,  or  know 
of  the  important  positions  which  you  have  held  in  Vic 
toria.  How  should  he?  He  will  be  glad  to  apologize 
after  he  understands  who  you  are.  Wait  with  some  of 
your  old  patience.  You  remember  the  time  when  weeks 
were  like  hours  to  you." 

"If  he  would  but  give  me  the  satisfaction  which  one 
gentleman  is  willing  to  accord  another,"  muttered  Murden, 
u  I  would  keep  my  hands  off  of  him." 

"  The  idea  of  giving  a  Fenian  the  satisfaction  of  a  gen 
tleman,"  the  aid  said,  in  so  contemptuous  a  tone  that  Mur 
den  once  more  felt  his  passion  stirred. 

"Hang  you  and  the  Fenians,  too,"  the  ex-commissioner 
roared.  "  I'm  no  more  of  a  Fenian  than  you  are,  and  I'll 
prove  it,  if  you  will  show  us  the  lord  lieutenant." 

"You  shall  have  your  wish,"  replied  the  aid,  in  a  cool 
tone  of  contempt.  "  Follow  me,  and  let  me  give  you  a 
word  of  advice." 

"  We  don't  need  it,"  said  Fred.  "  Don't  distress  your- 
gelf  about  advice  just  at  this  time.  We  have  our  Yankee 
wits  about  us,  and  have  had  for  some  time." 

"  As  you  please,"  was  the  answer,  curt  and  crisp,  like  all 
Englishmen's  words  when  in  a  pet. 

We  followed  the  aid  through  various  rooms  and  corri 
dors,  until  we  stopped  in  an  apartment  where  half  a  dozen 
officers  were  lounging. 

u  Halloo,"  one  of  them  said,  addressing  the  aid  who  was 
escorting  us.  "1  ou  have  been  long  enough  to  try  anc* 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  181 

bang  half  the  Fenians  in  Ireland.  His  lordship  is  devilish 
Impatient,  I  can  tell  you ;  so  you  had  better  hurry  them 
up.  I  never  saw  four  men  more  fitted  by  looks  for  the 
gallows  than  the  fellows  with  you." 

"Perhaps  our  looks  are  merely  a  reflection  since  we 
entered  the  apartment,"  cried  Fred,  in  one  of  his  cool 
ways. 

The  officer  roared  with  laughter  at  the  sally,  and  then 
suddenly  looked  grave  as  they  heard  the  tinkling  of  a 
bell. 

"By  Jove,"  one  of  them  said,  "his  lordship  has  heard 
us,  and  his  temper  won't  be  improved  by  the  noise.  I  don't 
wish  your  Fenians  any  harm ;  but  I'll  bet  a  sovereign  that 
they  are  remanded  to  prison  unless  they  tell  all  they 
know." 

"And  a  little  more,  perhaps,"  muttered  another  officer. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  only  road  to  safety,  nowadays.  Tell 
all  you  can  think  of,  and  rewards  and  honors  will  be  your 
portion  instead  of  punishments ; "  and  just  as  an  officer 
had  uttered  these  sarcastic  remarks,  a  door  opened,  and  an 
aid  appeared. 

"  His  lordship's  compliments,  and  he  will  thank  you  to 
make  less  noise." 

"Tell  him  the  Fenians  are  creating  the  disturbance," 
one  of  the  Englishmen  said ;  and  then  all  laughed,  but  in 
subdued  tones,  so  that  his  lordship  would  not  hear  the 
noise. 

"I'll  tell  him  anything  that  you  say,"  replied  the  new- 
uomer ;  and  then  his  eyes  fell  upon  our  party. 

"  Halloo,"  he  said ;  "  are  these  the  Fenians  his  lordship 
is  expecting?  How  long  have  you  kept  them  here,  when 
you  know  that  it  is  important  that  they  should  be  exam 
ined  at  once?  I  shall  report  such  conduct." 

The  threat  was  received  with  a  roar  of  subdued  laughter, 
in  which  the  party  who  threatened  did  not  hesitate  to  join. 

"  Come,"  he  said,  "  you  must  be  examined  without  de* 
lay ;  and  a  word  of  advice.  Hold  nothing  back  if  you 
wish  to  save  your  necks." 


182        TUB  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

With  these  words  the  door  was  thrown  open,  and  wa 
were  ushered  into  the  presence  of  his  lordship  and  half  a 
dozen  other  persons,  who  were  seated  at  tables,  looking 
over  papers  and  writing,  as  though  they  were  reporters, 
and  engaged  in  preparing  copy  for  a  morning  paper. 

His  lordship  was  a  man  sixty  years  of  age,  heavy,  sandy 
hair,  and  red  mutton-chop  whiskers,  ten  inches  long.  He 
was  not  a  man  remarkable  for  brilliant  thoughts  or  deeds, 
and  owed  his  position  to  the  fact  that  he  was  of  good 
birth,  and  could  afford  to  spend  money  to  amuse  the  aris 
tocracy  of  Ireland  with  four  balls  or  parties  a  year. 

His  lordship  honored  us,  for  a  minute  or  two,  by  looking 
at  us  without  speaking,  as  though  he  was  seeking  to  probe 
beneath  the  surface,  and  bring  to  light  all  of  our  hidden 
thoughts.  At  last  he  spoke. 

"Don't  you  feel  ashamed  to  stand  in  the  presence  of 
royalty's  representative,  after  outraging  the  queen's  laws?" 
he  said. 

"We  don't  know  why  we  should  feel  in  the  least 
ashamed,"  returned  Fred. 

"Put  that  answer  down,"  said  his  lordship  to  one  of  the 
parties  who  was  writing.  "It  shows  how  bold  and  defiant 
Fenianism  is  becoming." 

"Will  you  allow  me  to  make  a  remark?"  said  Fred, 
not  in  the  least  dismayed. 

"  A  confession  ?    Yes.     Go  on." 

"  Call  it  what  you  will,"  my  friend  said.  "  It  does  not 
matter  to  us,  as  long  as  we  can  make  you  understand  our 
position.  We  assure  you,  in  the  first  place,  that  we  have 
no  connection  with  Fenianism ;  and,  in  the  second  place, 
we  desire  to  leave  the  country  as  soon  as  possible ;  for  we 
have  experienced  only  vexation  and  bother  since  we 
landed  in  Ireland." 

"  Can  you  prove  your  assertions  ?  "  demanded  his  lord 
ship.  "  Is  there  any  one  who  can  satisfy  me  that  you  are 
not  American  head  centres  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     Lieutenant  Maurice  can  do  so." 

"Maurice  — Maurice,"  muttered  his  lordship.     "Why, 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  183 

that  is  the  officer  who  has  been  waiting  for  an  audience  so 
long.  I  had  forgotten  all  about  him.  Admit  him.  We 
will  see  what  he  has  to  say  about  these  people." 

Some  one  left  the  apartment,  and  then  the  only  noise 
that  was  heard  was  the  scratching  of  pens  and  the  rus 
tling  of  papers,  while  his  lordship  stroked  his  whiskers  and 
looked  us  all  over. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    CONVINCED     LORD. HEZ     AND     HIS     HAND-SHAKING.— 

DISCHARGED.  —  AN    EXPLANATION. A   RUSE    TO  ESCAPE 

ATTENTIONS. 

WE  had  no  doubt  but  that  Maurice  could  convince  the 
lord  lieutenant  that  we  were  travellers,  and  well-disposed 
ones  at  that ;  but  if  the  lieutenant  should  fail,  we  could  fall 
back  on  my  father-in-law,  or  even  the  Earl  of  Buckland, 
both  of  whom  could  be  reached  by  a  telegraphic  despatch 
directed  to  their  residences  in  Lancaster. 

While  we  were  waiting,  the  lord  lieutenant  did  not  ask 
us  to  be  seated,  as  he  might  have  done,  and  as  politeness 
dictated ;  so  we  took  possession  of  chairs,  regardless  of  the 
frown  upon  his  lordship's  brow. 

"You  people  mean  to  make  yourselves  at  home,"  his 
lordship  said,  in  a  tone  that  was  intended  as  a  sneer. 

"  We  wish  we  were  at  home,  or  in  some  country  where 
we  should  not  be  arrested  every  twenty-four  hours,  as  sus 
picious  persons,  by  suspicious  rulers,"  retorted  Fred,  in  a 
cool  and  unconcerned  manner. 

The  head  of  Ireland  frowned  and  pulled  his  long  whis 
kers,  but  he  never  uttered  another  word  until  our  friend 
Maurice  came  into  the  apartment;  and  very  much  surprised 
he  was  when  he  saw  us  in  the  presence  of  his  lordship. 


184       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"Lieutenant,  you  have  been  waiting  for  an  audience  fot 
some  time,"  the  lord  lieutenant  said. 

"  Yes,  your  lordship ;  I  sent  word  that  I  had  important 
information  to  communicate,  but  I  suppose  that  message 
was  never  delivered." 

"  Yes,  it  was  delivered,  but  I  have  been  so  pressed  for 
time,  that  I  could  not  see  you.  I  have  sent  for  you,  now, 
however,  to  see  if  you  could  identify  these  persons,  who 
have  been  arrested  by  our  detectives  as  Fenian  head  cen 
tres.  They  have  appealed  to  you  for  good  character.  Let 
me  hear  what  you  know  about  them." 

"  They  could  not  appeal  to  one  who  knows  them  bet 
ter  than  myself,"  was  the  answer.  "I  wish  your  lordship 
was  surrounded  by  as  good  men  as  these  four  gentlemen, 
and  that  Ireland  had  no  worse  enemies." 

"  Explain,"  was  the  command ;  but  the  frown  lessened 
from  his  lordship's  brow. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  said  Maurice,  pointing  to  Murden, 
"  this  gentleman  has  had  the  honor  to  hold  a  seat  in  the 
cabinet  of  Victoria,  when  Sir  Robert  Hardhead  was  gov 
ernor.  He  left  office  when  the  colonial  Parliament  refused 
to  vote  supplies  for  the  encouragement  of  the  mutton-fat 
breed  of  sheep.  If  the  design  had  been  carried  out,  Aus 
tralia  would  have  been  the  greatest  country  in  the  world 
for  its  wool.  But  it  failed,  and  Mr.  Murden  left  the  cabi 
net  with  the  rest  of  the  ministers." 

His  lordship  looked  a  little  surprised,  and  seemed  to 
regard  Murden  with  some  interest. 

"The  others,"  he  said;  "who  are  the  others?  Can  they 
give  as  good  record  ?  " 

"Yes,  your  lordship.  They  are  Americans.  This  one 
is  the  son-in-law  of  Sir  William  Byefield.  You  may  have 
heard  of  his  romantic  marriage  in  Australia." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  have  heard  of  it.  Byefield  is  an  old  friend 
of  mine.  I  remember  all  about  his  daughter,  at  the  time  she 
was  stolen  by  that  notorious  prize-fighter,  the  Pet.  So 
this  is  her  husband  —  is  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  lordship." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  185 

*i  Am  glad  to  see  him.  Now  give  me  some  information 
^specting  the  other  two." 

"This  gentleman,"  pointing  to  Fred,  "is  one  of  the  best 
men  that  ever  settled  in  Australia.  Had  he  been  an  Eng 
lishman,  the  highest  positions  in  the  land  would  have 
been  open  to  him." 

"  I  am  satisfied.     What  about  the  next  one  ?  " 

"That  means  me — don't  it?"  asked  Hez,  coming  forward, 
just  as  though  he  was  about  to  be  introduced  to  his  lord 
ship.  "  How  do  you  do,  sir  ?  Glad  to  see  you,  sir.  Hope 
your  wife  and  all  the  little  lordships  are  well." 

To  our  horror,  Hez  put  out  his  hand  and  grasped  the 
lord  lieutenant's,  and  shook  it  as  though  really  glad  of  an 
opportunity  to  show-  Ireland's  lord  that  he  could  do  an 
act  of  kindness  in  case  he  was  so  disposed. 

The  ruler  of  Ireland  was  as  much  astonished  as  if  we 
had  declared  ourselves  Fenians,  and  desired  to  make  an 
attack  on  him  and  the  Castle  at  once.  He  would  have 
withdrawn  his  hand,  but  Hez  held  on  to  it  as  though 
knowing  that,  if  he  ever  let  go  of  it,  he  should  not  again 
obtain  possession ;  so  up  and  down  he  pumped  the  lord's 
arm,  until  the  scene  became  so  ludicrous  that  we  were 
compelled  to  turn  our  heads  for  fear  of  laughing  in  the 
lord  lieutenant's  face. 

"I'm  darned  glad  to  see  one  of  England's  nobility,"  said 
the  wretched  Hez,  with  all  the  gravity  of  a  member  of  the 
Massachusetts  legislature  elected  for  the  first  time.  "If 
you  ever  come  to  New  Hampshire,  you  jist  drop  in  on  me, 
and  you'll  find  a  warm  welcome,  now  I  tell  you.  We  ain't 
much  on  our  show  up  there,  but  we  are  good  on  seeing 
that  a  man  has  a  full  belly  and  a  good  bed  at  night,  and 
that's  all  a  feller  could  ask  for  and  be  reasonable;  now 
ain't  it?" 

His  lordship,  after  the  first  surprise,  seemed  to  compre 
hend  matters  at  once,  and  to  be  rather  pleased  than  other 
wise  with  Hez.  lie  smiled,  and  asked  Hopeful  if  he  was 
ever  in  Australia  and  that  question  set  our  friend  at  work, 

"In  Australia;  "  repeated  Hez.     "Well,  I  should  think 


186  THE    GOLD    TIUXTEIIS    IN    EUK    PE,   OK 

I  was.  Didn't  you  ever  hear  of  my  quartz-crusher*9 
They  was  considered  a  little  the  greatest  thing  out,  at 
the  time  I  set  'em  up,  and  them  who  had  ought  to  know 
Aaid  that  I  was  the  means  of  adding  millions  to  the  wealth 
of  Victoria,  —  not  the  queen,  you  know,  but  the  province 
of  that  name,  —  and  one  old  lunatic,  what  I  met  in  Mel 
bourne,  said  that  government  had  oughter  to  settle  a  pen 
sion  on  me  for  what  I  had  done  to  develop  the  mines ;  but 
then  I  suppose  the  fellow  was  a  little  prejudiced,  'cos  he 
wanted  me  to  treat  him  to  some  gin,. and  I  did." 

Hez  paused  for  a  moment,  to  take  breath,  and  we  hoped 
that  he  had  run  down ;  but  he  hadn't,  for  he  fired  up  and 
rattled  on  once  more. 

"  If  you  think  it  is  best  for  me  to  make  application  for  a 
pension  for  what  I  has  done  for  the  gold  mines  of  Aus 
tralia,  I'll  do  it,  and  hope  you'll  back  me  up,  although  I 
ain't  confident  that  I  shall  get  anything." 

His  lordship,  with  a  smile,  said  that  he  should  be  happy 
to  lend  his  aid  if  he  understood  the  merits  of  the  case,  but 
that  he  did  not  just  at  that  time. 

"I  suppose  that  your  lordship  is  satisfied  with  the  inno 
cence  of  these  gentlemen,"  Maurice  said,  for  fear  Hez 
would  make  another  attempt  at  monopolizing  the  conver 
sation. 

"  O,  yes,  perfectly  satisfied,"  replied  his  lordship. 

"  Then  you  are  willing  that  they  should  retire  to  their 
hotel  —  are  you  not  ?  " 

"  O,  yes,  by  all  means ; "  and  his  lordship  looked  a  little 
anxiously  at  Hez,  for  fear  he  would  recommence  his  yarn 
about  quartz-crushers. 

We  were  about  to  retire,  when  his  lordship  suddenly 
recollected  that  Lieutenant  Maurice  had  been  waiting  for 
some  time,  during  the  afternoon,  to  communicate  with 
him. 

"Did  you  wish  an  audience  for  any  important  busi 
ness?  "asked  the  lord  lieutenant. 

"  Had    my  business  not  been  important,  I  should  not 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  187 

nave  troubled  you,"  was  the  response  of  the  high-minded 
soldier. 

"Of  course— of  course,"  his  lordship  said,  and  then 
looked  annoyed  to  think  that  he  had  laid  himself  out  for 
a  rebuke. 

Maurice  then  proceeded  to  state  how  it  happened  that 
his  men  were  overpowered  by  whiskey,  and  their  rifles 
taken  from  them.  In  fact,  he  gave  a  complete  history  of 
our  proceedings,  from  the  time  we  landed  until  brought 
before  his  lordship.  -I  will  give  the  ruler  of  Ireland  the 
credit  of  saying  that  he  became  interested  in  the  narrative, 
and  manifested  some  enthusiasm  when  Maurice  told  how 
a  rope  was  put  round  his  neck,  and  the  Fenians  threatened 
to  hang  him  unless  a  ransom  was  paid  for  his  life. 

"  And  these  gentlemen  actually  offered  to  pay  the  sura, 
often  thousand  pounds  for  your  life  —  did  they?"  asked 
his  lordship,  with  more  surprise  on  his  face  than  he  ever 
before  exhibited,  except  when  told  that  the  Fenians  were 
dissatisfied  with  his  rule. 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  they  proved  their  friendship  on  that  try 
ing  occasion." 

"I  must  shake  hands  with  such  gentlemen  as  you  have 
for  friends,"  his  lordship  said,  m  a  moment  of  great  enthu 
siasm. 

"  Certainly,"  cried  that  wretched  Hez,  pressing  forward, 
and  giving  the  lord  lieutenant  his  hand,  and  a  mighty 
shake  at  the  same  time.  "We  ain't  a  bit  proud,  and  had 
jist  as  leaves  shake  hands  with  you  as  with  any  other,  man. 
Some  people  think  we  are  stuck  up  'cos  we  are  Ameri 
cans  ;  but  it  ain't  so,  and  we  repel  all  sich  blamed  non 
sense,  and  no  mistake." 

"I  am  happy  to  hear  it,"  returned  his  lordship;  and 
then  he  released  his  hand  from  Hez's  powerful  grasp,  and 
rubbed  it  slowly  and  ruefully,  as  if  he  feared  that  he  could 
never  restore  it  to  its  original  shape. 

Seeing  how  his  lordship  was  suffering,  we  pretended  to 
take  no  notice  of  his  request  to  shake  hands  with  each  of 
us,  so  retired  from  the  august  presence,  and  inwardly 


188       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

Bwore  that  we  would  give  Hez  some  private  instructions  in 
etiquette  before  we  were  again  introduced  into  the  circles 
of  English  aristocracy. 

As  we  passed  through  the  doorway  I  turned  to  take  a 
final  look  at  his  lordship,  and  to  make  him  a  final  bow. 
He  was  not  paying  the  slightest  attention  to  us,  but  show 
ing  his  hand  to  one  of  his  confidential  secretaries,  and 
apparently  explaining  how  much  he  had  suffered  by  corn 
ing  in  contact  with  an  uncouth  American,  who  had  New 
Hampshire  ideas  of  what  constituted  heartiness. 

Then  the  door  closed  behind  us,  and  we  found  ourselves 
in  the  presence  of  the  several  aids,  the  gentlemen  who  had 
intimated  to  us  that  when  we  left  the  presence  of  the  lord 
lieutenant  it  would  be  for  solitary  cells  in  the  strongest 
prison  in  Dublin. 

"  Halloo ! "  said  one  of  the  aids,  as  soon  as  he  saw  Mau 
rice,  whom  he  appeared  to  be  acquainted  with  ;  "  you  have 
got  into  new  business  —  haven't  you?  What  do  you 
intend  to  do  with  these  Fenians  ?  Shoot  them  or  imprison 
them?" 

"  I'll  bet  a  sovereign  that  they  are  sent  over  the  water 
if  they  are  tried,"  remarked  one  young  fellow,  whom  we 
afterwards  discovered  was  the  son  of  an  English  duke, 
and  had  been  banished  to  Ireland  on  account  of  his  debts 
and  extravagances. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Maurice,  with  all  of  his  heartiness,  — 
a  relic  cf  his  Australian  life,  —  "  these  are  my  friends,  true 
and  tried,  and  the  man  who  insults  them  insults  me." 

Had  a  gang  of  Fenians  burst  into  the  room,  and  called 
upon  the  officers  to  surrender,  I  don't  think  the  aids  could 
have  been  more  surprised  than  they  were  at  the  lieuten* 
ant's  words.  For  a  moment  there  was  an  oppressive 
silence.  Then  the  duke's  son  said,  with  his  habitua1 
drawl, — 

"D — n  it,  Maurice,  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you 
want  to  fight  us  all  because  we  have  had  a  little  fun  out 
of  your  Fenian  friend*  — do  you?" 


THL.    PEAD    ALIVE.       »  189 

"No,  ray  lord,  I  have  no  desire  to  fight,  but,  at  the 
lame  time,  I  will  stand  by  my  friends." 

"  A  devilish  good  quality  in  a  soldier,"  said  one  of  the 
eldest  of  the  aids.  "  I  wish  that  I  had  some  such  friend." 

tt  You  would  ruin  him  if  you  had,"  returned  the  duke's 
son. 

"How?" 

"  Why,  you  would  borrow  all  of  his  ready  money  and 
never  pay  him  ; "  and  at  this  sally  all  laughed,  the  victim 
as  heartily  as  any  one. 

"  It  is  true,"  the  elder  aid  said,  as  soon  as  the  laugh  sub 
sided,  "  I  might  borrow  my  friend's  money,  but,  by  Jove, 
I  wouldn't  get  him  to  put  his  name  to  the  back  of  a  bill 
and  then  clear  out  to  Ireland,  and  leave  him  to  pay  it. 
No,  by  Jove,  I  wouldn't  do  that." 

This  was  a  hard  hit  at  the  duke's  son.  We  could  sea 
that  the  shot  had  raked  him  fore  and  aft,  for  his  face 
flushed  with  anger,  but  recollecting  that  he  had  provoked 
the  retort,  he  changed  his  show  of  rage  to  one  of  mirth, 
and  laughed,  apparently,  as  hearty  as  any  one. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  said  Maurice,  "  if  you  have  done 
stabbing  each  other,  perhaps  you  will  listen  to  me  for  one 
moment." 

"  Go  on,  Maurice.  These  two  have  sunk  each  other 
with  their  hot  shot,  so  they  will  keep  quiet  hereafter,"  one 
of  the  officers  said,  and  thus  encouraged,  the  lieutenant 
remarked,  — 

"  These  four  gentlemen  have  been  friends  of  mine  for 
many  years.  They  have  been  tried  and  never  found 
wanting  in  a  single  quality  that  goes  towards  making  up 
all  that  is  requisite  in  man.  They  just  landed  at  Queens- 
town,  and  as  they  came  from  America,  the  whole  popula 
tion  supposed  that  they  were  Fenian  head  centres.  I  was 
enabled  to  rescue  them  from  the  enthusiastic  Irishmen 
who  wanted  their  help  and  their  gold,  and  from  that  sim 
ple  circumstance  the  lord  lieutenant  supposed  that  all 
Ireland  was  about  to  break  out  in  a  revolt.  He  is  satisfied, 
however,  with  my  explanation,  and  my  friends  are  at  lib- 


190  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

«rty  to  go  where  they  please,  and  leave  Ireland  as  soon 
as  they  please." 

"  I  wish  to  the  Lord  he  would  give  me  the  same  privi 
lege,"  muttered  the  duke's  son. 

"  Maurice,"  said  the  aid,  who  appeared  to  be  the  first  in 
authority,  "  your  explanations  are  satisfactory,  and  if  you 
will  introduce  us  to  your  friends,  we  shall  be  happy  to 
know  them." 

On  this  hint  we  were  introduced  in  due  form ;  and  I 
will  give  the  Englishmen  the  credit  of  behaving  quite 
polite  when  they  found  out  who  we  were.  They  invited 
us  to  remain  and  dine  with  them,  and  promised  to  show 
us  something  of  the  town  in  the  evening ;  but  our  clothes 
wanted  changing,  after  what  we  had  passed  through ;  so 
we  were  compelled  to  decline  the  invitation. 

"  Make  it  to-morrow,  then,"  one  of  the  aids  said. 

But  we  had  made  up  our  rniiids  that  Ireland  was  not  a 
pleasant  place  for  a  residence  just  at  that  time ;  so  de 
clined,  on  the  ground  that  we  meant  to  leave  Dublin  the 
next  day  for  England,  where  we  hoped  to  find  peace  and 
freedom  from  the  charge  of  Fenianism. 

Our  excuses  were  well  received,  and  then  we  took  our 
leave,  with  mutual  protestations  of  regard. 

In  the  court-yard  of  the  palace  we  met  our  friend,  the 
detective  who  had  arrested  us.  He  carne  towards  us  full 
of  anxiety  as  to  the  result,  and  when  we  explained  that 
nothing  had  been  proved  against  us,  he  expressed  some 
delight ;  but  I  fancy  that  he  was  disappointed,  after  all, 
for  he  had  lost  the  rewards  which  were  offered  for  head 
centres. 

However,  he  shook  hands  with  us,  and  then  we  left  the 
palace  for  our  own  hotel,  where  Maurice  informed  us  we 
should  find  all  of  our  baggage,  which  had  been  taken  from 
the  station  and  sent  to  the  house  by  the  police,  at  the  lieu 
tenant's  request. 

No  sooner  were  we  outside  of  the  palace  gates  than  a 
tagged,  beggar-appearing  man  came  towards  us,  as  if  f  >1 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  191 

charity.  He  held  out  his  hand,  and  then  looked  us  in  the 
face. 

I  was  about  to  hand  him  a  shilling,  when  the  supposed 
beggar  uttered  a  shrill  cry,  and  then  began  to  give  us 
specimens  of  an  Irish  jig,  dancing  around  us,  one  moment 
advancing,  and  the  next  receding,  until  we  began  to  think 
that  the  fellow  was  mad,  or  else  was  showing  us  a  speci 
men  of  his  skill  for  money.  But  the  next  moment  we 
were  undeceived,  for  his  shrill  yell  brought  forth  from 
dark  corners  dozens  of  men  like  himself,  poorly  dressed, 
and  with  a  wild,  uncouth  look  about  their  eyes,  and  long, 
tangled  hair  over  their  necks  and  shoulders. 

"Whoop!"  yelled  the  dancer,  "here  they  is,  and  now 
we  must  have  'em  to  ourselves." 

The  ralpble  gathered  around  us,  and  hard-looking  cus 
tomers  they  were.  We  did  not  know  what  their  inten 
tions  were,  but  we  were  not  long  left  in  doubt,  for  they 
made  a  rush  at  us,  and  attempted  to  hoist  us  on  their 
shoulders  so  that  we  could  be  carried  in  procession  about 
the  city,  or  to  the  places  where  Fenians  congregated. 

We  struggled  to  free  ourselves  from  their  embraces,  but 
they  clung  to  us  like  leeches,  and  swore  that  their  true- 
hearted  American  "hed  centres"  should  never  be  sepa 
rated  from  them. 

The  crowd  was  increasing,  and  we  sa/7  that  we  were 
likely  to  be  again  involved  in  trouble,  unless  we  adopted 
Borne  original  method  of  getting  out  of  it.  Fred,  who  had 
a  genius  for  just  such  a  situation  as  the  one  we  were  in, 
j»ut  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  and  withdrew  it  filled  with 
silver  shilling  pieces. 

"  Scramble  for  the  money,"  he  shouted,  and  dashed  the 
silver  to  the  pavement. 

The  wild-looking  men  left  us  in  a  hurry,  and  threw 
themselves  upon  the  ground,  scratching  to  the  right  and 
left  for  the  money. 

This  was  the  moment  Fred  had  looked  for. 

"  The  police  are  coming ! "  my  friend  shouted,  and  *an 
for  the  next  street,  as  fast  as  he  could ;  the  rest  of  UP  ibl- 


192       HIE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

towing  him,  and  shouting  "  Police ! "  as  loud  as  we  could 
roar. 

This  ruse  had  the  desired  effect.  As  we  ran,  we  looked 
over  our  shoulders,  and  saw  that  the  rabble  and  our  de 
voted  admirers  had  taken  the  hint  and  the  money  at  the 
same  time.  They  were  scattering  in  all  directions,  but 
none  of  them  came  towards  us ;  so  we  settled  down  into 
a  walk,  and  at  last  reached  the  hotel,  and  were  received 
by  the  head  waiter  with  every  demonstration  of  respect 
and  approval.  Not  waiting  for  us  to  order  it,  he  set  a 
bottle  of  wine  before  us,  and  hoped  that  we  would  drink 
for  the  honor  of  the  house,  and  to  the  prosperity  of  Old 
Ireland. 

Rover  was  glad  enough  to  see  us.  We  had  left  the  dog 
at  the  hotel  while  we  were  at  the  palace,  considering  that 
his  company  would  not  be  wanted  by  the  lord  lieutenant. 

While  we  were  drinking  the  wine,  the  head  waiter  came 
along  and  announced  that  for  our  especial  honor  a  sere 
nade  would  be  got  up  for  us  in  the  course  of  the  night. 

"Sure,  we  could  do  no  less,"  he  said,  "for  distinguished 
gintlemen  from  'Merica,  what  had  come  all  the  way  to  Ire 
land  to  help  the  cause." 

We  looked  at  each  other  in  despair.  We  had  not  ceased 
encountering  troubles  and  trials. 

"  Waiter,"  I  said,  "  what  time  does  the  boat  start  for 
Liverpool  ?  " 

"  At  eight  o'clock  to-morrow  morning,  sir." 

"Send  down  at  once  and  secure  our  passage.  We  have 
seen  enough  of  Ireland  to  last  us  a  year."  And  then  we 
went  to  bed,  only  to  be  awakened  in  the  middle  of  the 
night  by  a  serenade  got  up  in  our  honor. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE    SERENADE. — A   GRAND   ROW. OFF   FOR   LIVERPOOL. 

IIEZ  AND  A  PRETTY  GIRL. DISAPPEARANCE  OF  HOPE 
FUL. A   REQUEST    FOR   MONEY. 

IT  is  not  always  agreeable  to  be  awakened  in  the  night, 
especially  after  a  hard  day's  work.  We  had  gone  to  bed 
tired,  completely  used  up,  mentally  and  bodily,  and  dis 
posed  to  make  the  most  of  our  last  night's  residence  in 
Ireland  by  getting  as  sound  a  sleep  as  possible ;  so  when 
we  heard  a  roar  in  the  street,  and  after  the  roar  a  few  dis 
cordant  notes  of  music,  brass  instruments  and  a  drum,  we 
uttered  a  few  quiet  curses,  and  then  tried  to  sleep  once 
more;  and  perhaps  we  should  have  done  so  if  the  head 
waiter  (may  he  never  live  a  thousand  years)  had  not 
Bounded  on  our  door  and  requested  the  pleasure  of  a 
short  conversation  with  us  on  business  of  the  utmost  im 
portance. 

"Go  to  the  devil,  you  and  your  musicians,"  roared  Fred, 
who  occupied  a  bed  in  the  same  room  with  myself,  while 
the  next  apartment  contained  Hopeful  and  Murden. 

The  only  answer  that  was  returned  to  such  a  salutation 
was  a  renewed  demand  to  get  up  and  hear  what  he  had 
to  say. 

"  The  buys,"  said  the  head  waiter,  "  is  musterin'  in  force, 
and  they  won't  go  widout  hearin'  a  few  words  from  yer. 
They  knows  how  to  honor  'Mericans  ;  so  get  up  and  spake 
to  'em,  or  they'll  come  up  and  spake  to  ye  in  tones  that 
will  prove  how  much  they  like  ye." 

Just  then  there  was  a  roar,  as  though  a  thousand  wild 
beasts  were  quarrelling.  It  was  useless  to  attempt  to 
Bleep  after  that ;  so  I  sprang  out  of  bed  and  looked  into 
the  street,  while  Fred  admitted  the  head  waiter,  who 
brought  lighted  candles  and  charged  them  in  the  bill  next 
13 


194       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUKOPE,  OR 

day,  and  refused  to  strike  out  the  item  when  we  remon 
strated. 

In  front  of  the  hotel  was  a  mob,  or  crowd,  collected 
around  half  a  dozen  musicians,  the  latter  unable  to  play 
the  most  simple  tune,  on  account  of  the  pressure  that  was 
brought  against  their  elbows.  The  scene  was  wild  and 
exciting  in  the  extreme,  because  every  one  appeared  to  bo 
talking,  and  none  listening. 

"Be  still,  now!"  shouted  one.  "What  in  the  devil  do 
ye  mane  ?  Don't  ye  see  that  the  music  is  bothered  en 
tirely  by  yer  conduct  ?  Let  'em  alone,  so  that  they  can 
play  to  'Merican  gintlemen  and  show  what  tunes  old  Ire 
land  produces.  Whist,  ye  blackguards,  while  they  give 
us  the  Piper  of  the  Shannon." 

The  pleading  did  not  appear  to  influence  any  one,  for 
the  noise  continued,  and  the  musicians  had  as  little  room 
as  before. 

A  crowd  of  Irishmen  cannot  get  together  without  hav 
ing  fun  or  fight.  This  crowd  went  in  for  fun  in  the  most 
extensive  degree.  They  cared  no  more  for  music  than  we 
did  when, first  awakened  from  our  sound  sleep;  so  I  was 
not  surprised  to  see  the  instruments  change  hands  in  a 
short  time,  in  spite  of  the  remonstrances  of  their  owners. 

The  new  possessors  attempted  to  use  the  instruments, 
but  only  produced  the  most  discordant  sounds  and  roars 
of  laughter  from  the  crowd ;  and  at  last  one  fellow  seized 
tho  drum  and  dashed  it  over  the  head  of  the  genius  who 
was  beating  it. 

This  was  the  signal  for  a  general  row,  and  in  a  moment 
there  was  not  a  whole  instrument  to  be  seen.  All  were 
smashed  over  each  other's  pates,  which  occasioned  a  remark 
from  the  head  waiter,  who  was  still  in  our  room,  looking 
on  in  evident  delight. 

"  Sure,"  he  said,  **  the  buys  does  know  how  to  enjoy 
themselves.  Ain't  they  as  playful  as  kittens?  But  to 
bring  'em  out  real  strong,  yer  honors  has  but  -:o  order 
Home  whiskey  for  'em.  Thin  they'll  show  what  they  ia 
made  of." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  195 

We  declined  to  order  the  whiskey  for  a  thousand  men, 
and  in  consequence  the  head  waiter  looked  a  little  disap« 
pointed  and  grieved,  as  though  we  had  done  him  some 
personal  injury. 

"  Sure,"  he  said,  "  I  thought  that  all  'Mencans  was  true- 
hearted  and  liberal  towards  the  down-trodden  and  op 
pressed  of  Old  Ireland.  I'm  disappinted,  it  seems." 

"  It  seems  that  you  are,  if  you  expected  us  to  furnish 
whiskey  to  all  the  crowd  in  the  street.  We  didn't  send 
for  them,  and  we  don't  want  them  to  stay.  They  may  gc> 
to  the  devil  if  they  will  but  let  us  return  to  our  beds  and 
sleep." 

The  head  waiter  sighed. 

"  This  is  not  the  kind  of  treatment  that  the  lads  will 
expect,"  he  said.  "They  s'pose  that  when  they  honor 
gintlemen  with  their  attentions,  that  the  gintlemen  will 
at  least  do  the  handsome  thing  by  'em.  It's  lots  of  prepa 
ration  I  made  for  this  serenade,  and  it  seems  that  all  of  it 
is  lost,  and  no  one  to  pay." 

"Pay!"  repeated  Fred.     "Let  those  pay  who  drink." 

"  It's  not  the  custom  of  the  country,  when  they  turns 
out  to  honor  some  distinguished  visitors.  Hark !  Do  ye 
hear  'em  roar  for  ye  ?  " 

In  fact  the  crowd  in  front  of  the  house  was  roaring,  but 
it  was  for  the  simple  reason  that  some  eight  or  ten  of  the 
most  pugnacious  were  having  a  lively  fight,  and  their 
friends  were  doing  all  they  could  to  help  the  thing  along, 
and  involve  others,  so  that  the  row  would  become  general. 

In  this  the  most  eminent  success  was  the  result;  and 
while  we  were  looking  at  the  noisy,  laughing,  pugnacious, 
full-of-mischief  crowd,  which  had  smashed  all  the  musical 
instruments,  they  turned  upon  each  other,  and  then  com 
menced  a  war  with  shillalahs.  Heads  were  broken  with 
out  the  least  regard  for  friend  or  foe,  much  to  the  delight 
of  the  head  waiter,  who  still  remained  with  us. 

"Isn't  it  a  pretty  sight ?"  he  said,  rubbing  his  hands 
with  gratification.  "Ye  don't  often  see  the  likes  of  this 
in  'Merica  —  now  do  ye  ?  " 


196  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

We  thought  not. 

"  Ah,"  the  head  waiter  sighed,  "  if  ye  would  but  stand 
the  whiskey,  the  buys  would  treat  ye  to  a  sight  that  would 
make  Dublin  howl." 

Just  at  this  moment,  when  the  yells  and  the  cries  oi 
rage  and  pain  were  the  most  powerful,  some  one  raised 
the  cry  that  the  "  sogers  was  comin',"  and  then  the  crowd 
began  to  thin  out  without  much  delay,  but  the  most  stub 
born  held  on  until  the  red-coats  turned  a  corner  and  camo 
towards  the  hotel  on  the  double  quick. 

There  were  half  a  dozen  savage  yells  from  those  who 
had  been  fighting,  and  then  even  the  most  obstinate  turned 
and  disappeared  down  narrow  by-streets  and  lanes ;  and 
by  the  time  the  soldiers  were  on  the  ground,  in  front  of 
the  hotel,  not  more  than  a  hundred  civilians  were  to  be 
seen. 

"  Ye  see,"  sighed  the  head  waiter,  "  the  buys  has  gone, 
and  not  a  drop  of  whiskey  has  wet  their  lips.  It's  little 
regard  they'll  have  for  'Merica  after  this." 

We  could  not  help  smiling  at  the  remark,  and  thought 
that  America  would  have  to  send  over  other  representa 
tives  to  recover  lost  ground  in  the  estimation  of  the  enthu 
siastic  Irishmen  of  Dublin. 

"  Well,"  yawned  Fred,  "  I  suppose  that,  now  the  sere 
nade  is  over,  we  can  retire  to  our  beds  once  more." 

The  head  waiter  looked  a  little  severe  as  he  answered,  — 

"  And  if  ye  can  slape  arter  this  night's  work,  it  is  more 
than  most  men  could  do.  Niver  was  men  so  trated  as  the 
buys  of  Dublin  this  night ;  now  I  say  it,  who  shouldn't 
gay  it,  because  there  is  no  other  one  to  spake  it." 

"  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  take  yourself  and  your 
moralizing  out  of  the  room,  so  that  we  can  go  to  bed  ?  " 
asked  Fred. 

"Yes,  I'll  do  it,"  was  the  reply,  "for  I  no  longer  desire 
to  remain  in  the  company  of  sich  'Mericans  as  ye  is ; "  and 
with  that  the  head  waiter  washed  his  hands  of  us,  and  left 
the  room,  more  in  sorrow  than  in  anger. 

We  once  more  turned  in,  and  slept  until  aroused  by 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  197 

Borne  one  pounding  on  our  door,  and  informing  us  that  it 
was  time  to  get  up,  if  we  meant  to  eat  breakfast,  and  take 
the  boat  for  Liverpool. 

We  lost  no  time  in  bathing,  dressing,  and  eating  our 
breakfast ;  and  then  came  the  hardest  task  of  all,  parting 
\*  ith  Maurice,  who  had  been  to  us  more  like  a  brother 
than  a  friend.  He  had  been  ordered  to  rejoin  his  company 
at  Queenstown,  without  a  moment's  delay ;  so  he  could 
not  accompany  us  across  the  Channel,  as  he  hoped  to, 
and  as  we  desired. 

However,  he  promised  to  do  all  that  he  could  to  rejoin 
us  in  Paris,  and  if  that  was  impossible,  we  were  to  spend 
a  week  with  him  in  Ireland,  on  our  return  from  our  tour. 

The  parting  was  sorrowful.  The  lieutenant  went  with 
us  to  the  steamer,  and  there  we  shook  hands  for  the  last 
time,  and  then  he  hurried  to  the  railroad  station  and  took 
the  cars,  while  we  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  for  Liver 
pool. 

There  was  the  usual  number  of  passengers  on  board  — 
a  miscellaneous  lot  they  were.  We  saw  no  one  that  we 
knew,  or  cared  to  know,  so  secured  our  state-rooms,  and 
turned  in  for  a  long  sleep,  to  make  up  for  the  time  that 
we  had  lost. 

When  we  awoke  it  was  afternoon,  and  dinner  was  ready 
for  those  who  wanted  it.  We  were  of  the  wanting  kind ; 
and  while  ordering  what  we  desired,  suddenly  missed 
Hopeful. 

"  Where  is  Hez?  "  I  asked  of  Murden,  for  the  two  had 
roomed  together  on  board  the  steamer. 

"  I  haven't  seen  him  since  I  turned  out,"  was  the  re 
sponse.  "  He  woke  up  while  I  was  sleeping,  and  went  on 
deck,  I  suppose ;  and  he  is  there  now,  unless  he  has  jumped 
overboard." 

I  went  on  deck  to  find  him,  and  I  did.  The  son  of 
New  Hampshire  was  seated  by  the  side  of  a  pretty  little 
girl,  modest  and  as  fresh-looking  as  a  rose.  To  her  Hea 
was  paying  the  utmost  attention,  and  the  young  lady  was 
listening  to  him  with  every  mark  of  interest  and  deference* 


198  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS  TNT   EUROPE,   OR 

Hopeful  was  in  his  element,  and  so  fearful  that  I  should 
interfere  with  his  pleasure  that  he  would  hardily  take  any 
notice  of  me.  He  thought  that  I  might  attempt  to  make 
love  to  the  girl  on  my  own  account,  although  he  should 
have  known  me  better.  I  am  not  one  to  interfere  in  mat 
ters  of  that  kind. 

"  Well,  Hopeful,"  I  said,  with  a  look  of  admiration  at 
the  fresh-faced  English  girl,  "you  did  not  sleep  late. 
Well,  I  don't  blame  you  for  preferring  the  deck  to  the 
state-room  under  the  circumstances." 

"  Never  you  mind  about  that,"  returned  Hopeful,  with  a 
sulky  look.  "  I  don't  interfere  with  you  when  you  has  a 
gal,  and  don't  you  interfere  with  me." 

"  Why,  Hopeful,"  I  said,  soothingly,  "  you  don't  suppose 
that  I  would  interfere  in  your  affairs  —  do  you  ?  " 

Just  at  this  moment  the  young  lady  looked  up  and  gave 
me  a  sweet  smile,  as  though  she  rather  liked  the  turn  of 
affairs,  and  hoped  that  the  conversation,  would  continue 
for  some  time,  as  it  amused  her. 

"Look  ahere,"  said  Hopeful,  in  a  tone  full  of  wrath, 
"  when  you  and  Miss  Goldthwaite  was  a  flirtin',  and  a  bill- 
in',  and  a  cooin'  on  board  the  steamer,  I  didn't  run  up 
to  you  every  time  I  seed  your  heads  together  —  now 
did  I?" 

"  No,  Hez,  you  didn't.  I'll  give  you  some  credit.  When 
Miss  Goldthwaite  and  I  met,  you  kept  in  the  back 
ground." 

"  That's  so,"  Hez  muttered. 

"  But  at  the  same  time  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  say 
that  I  formally  introduced  you  to  the  lady.  Confess  that." 

"  Yes,  I  confess  that ;  but  at  the  same  time  I  don't 
mean  to  introduce  you  here ;  now  you  may  believe  it  or 
not,  just  as  you  please.  This  young  lady  is  all  alone  on 
the  boat,  and  is  under  my  protection,  and  I  mean  to  pro 
tect  her  —  you  see  if  I  don't." 

"If  she  is  under  your  protection,  the  best  thing  that  you 
can  do  is  to  take  her  down  to  dinner,  provided  she  is  capa 
ble  of  eating  any," 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  199 

The  young  lady  said  that  she  was  quite  well,  and  nevei 
more  hungry  in  her  life. 

"Then  you  shall  come  and  have  dinner  with,  me,"  Hez 
said.  "  But  mind,"  he  continued,  as  he  arose  and  offered 
his  arm  to  the  girl,  which  she  took,  although  she  gave  me 
a  glance  that  I  could  not  or  would  not  understand, "  that  I 
won't  stand  no  blamed  nonsense  from  no  one." 

"Don't  be  afraid,"  I  said.  "No  one  will  interfere  with 
you;  and  if  they  were  disposed  to,  the  young  lady  would 
not  encourage  it." 

"No,"  said  Hez,  "I  won't  stand  no  blamed  nonser.se. 
The  young  lady  looks  to  me  for  protection,  and  I'm  the 
one  to  protect  her,  now  you  had  better  believe." 

I  saw  that  Hez  was  serious ;  and  when  he  was  in  earnest 
about  a  woman,  he  was  dangerous  as  a  wild  bull.  I  had 
seen  that  in  Australia,  when  he  fancied  that  he  was  in  love 
with  Amelia ;  so  I  determined  to  let  him  do  as  he  pleased, 
and  make  as  violent  love  as  he  wanted  to,  until  he  recov 
ered  his  senses. 

We  went  into  the  cabin  together.  Fred  looked  a  little 
surprised  when  he  saw  whom  Hez  had  for  a  companion ; 
but  I  kept  him  and  Murden  still  by  a  glance  which  they 
understood. 

Down  to  the  dinner  table  we  sat.  The  young  lady  was 
exactly  opposite  me,  so  that  I  had  a  good  chance  to  notice 
her.  She  had  laid  aside  her  hat,  and  I  now  saw  her  whole 
face;  and  a  pretty  one  it  was,  with  blue  eyes,  brown  hair, 
and  such  sweet-looking  cheeks,  that  I  almost  wished  I  had 
an  opportunity  to  kiss  them  with  no  one  to  see  me  at  such 
delightful  work. 

I  did  not  blame  Hopeful  for  wishing  to  keep  such  a  de- 
•ightful  little  prize  of  humanity  all  to  himself.  If  I  had 
been  in  his  place  I  would  have  acted  in  the  same  way,  for 
men  are  a  little  selfish  with  beauty,  and  like  to  own  and 
protect  as  much  of  it  as  possible. 

"  I  suppose  that  you  are  never  seasick,"  I  said,  address 
ing  the  young  lady,  while  we  were  eating  dinner ;  but  Hef 
interfered  and  prevented  her  from  answering. 


200        THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 


you  mind  about  that,"  he  replied.  "If  she  was 
sick  she  wouldn't  be  here,  and  I  don't  'spose  she  wants  to 
be  reminded  of  seasickness  every  time  she  puts  a  mouth 
ful  of  food  down  her  throat." 

Fred  rolled  up  one  eye  to  me,  and  I  saw  the  corners  of 
I  is  mouth  twitching  as  though  he  wanted  to  laugh,  but 
did  not  dare  to  just  then  for  fear  of  the  consequences. 

I  didn't  think  the  conversation  very  improving  just  at 
that  moment,  as  it  was  attracting  some  attention,  so  said 
no  more  for  fear  Hopeful  should  get  furious  with  jealousy. 

The  English  girl  smiled  and  glanced  at  Hopeful  as  if 
8he  sympathized  with  him  in  her  defence  ;  so  I  did  not  rate 
her  refinement  at  so  large  an  estimate  as  I  might  have 
done,  had  she  shown  a  more  fervent  desire  to  get  ac 
quainted  with  Fred  and  myself,  and  left  Hez  to  find  some 
other  lady  of  marked  beauty. 

The  dinner  was  only  tolerable.  Fred  ordered  a  bottle  of 
wine,  and  sent  a  glass  to  the  young  lady;  but  Hez  in  her 
behalf  refused  it,  and  ordered  wine  on  his  own  account, 
and  they  drank  it  until  the  bottle  was  emptied,  and  then 
all  of  us  went  on  deck. 

"What  do  you  think  of  Hopeful's  conquest?"  I  asked 
of  Fred,  while  we  were  smoking  our  cigars. 

"  Faith,"  was  the  laughing  response,  "  I  think  she  is  as 
pretty  a  girl  as  I  have  seen  since  I  left  home." 

"  With  the  exception  of  Miss  Goldthvvaite,"  I  added,  a 
attle  reproachfully. 

"I  accept  of  the  exception,"  was  the  reply.  "Misa 
Goldthwaite's  style  of  beauty  is  more  noble  and  refined, 
and  with  it  is  an  air  of  coquetry  that  is  perfectly  irresisti 
ble,  especially  when  she  stands  on  the  quarter-deck  of  a 
Bteamship,  and  laughs  at  her  lover's  misery." 

It  was  now  my  turn  to  blush,  and  I  did  with  a  ven 
geance. 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Fred,  while  I  was  sucking  my  cigar 
in  silence,  with  a  burning  face,  "  don't  feel  bad  because  the 
lady  laughed  at  your  sentimentality.  I  know  by  her  ac 
tions  that  she  is  rather  favorably  disposed  towards  you, 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  201 

and  if  you  will  but  exert  one  half  your  usual  impudence, 
the  next  time  you  meet,  she  is  yours." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  advice.  Now  let  us  talk  of  Hez'a 
capture.  What  do  you  think  of  her  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind." 

"She  is  pretty  and  looks  innocent.  Is  she  what  she 
appears  ?  " 

"  Who  can  tell  ?  I  am  no  judge  of  such  matters.  We 
must  wait." 

We  did  wait,  and  watched,  and  saw  nothing  that  caused 
apprehension  on  our  part,  or  heard  a  word  that  would  have 
brought  a  blush  to  the  cheek  of  the  most  refined. 

As  the  steamer  neared  the  docks,  Hez  left  the  side  of 
the  lady  and  came  towards  us. 

"  At  what  tavern  do  you  propose  to  put  up  at  in  Liver 
pool  ?  "  asked  Hez. 

"  The  Queen's  Head,"  was  the  reply,  for  that  had  been 
recommended  to  us. 

"  Wai,"  said  Hez,  "  I've  got  to  see  the  lady  home,  and 
then  I'll  jine  yer  thar." 

We  made  no  reply  to  this  argument,  and  when  the 
steamer  entered  the  dock,  we  saw  Hez  and  the  young  girl 
enter  a  cab  and  drive  off,  while  we  went  to  the  hotel  and 
booked  our  names  and  ordered  supper. 

We  waited  until  nine  o'clock  for  Hopeful,  but  as  he  did 
not  come,  we  ate  our  supper,  smoked  our  cigars,  and  then 
went  to  bed,  determined  to  devote  one  or  two  days  to 
Liverpool  and  its  docks  before  we  passed  on  to  London. 

The  next  morning  we  expected  to  see  Hopeful,  but  he 
did  not  make  his  appearance.  We  were  not  surprised,  al 
though  a  little  grieved,  for  appearances  were  not  so  favora 
ble  as  we  could  expect  from  one  who  had  had  the  advan 
tages  of  our  company  and  conversation  for  so  long  a  time. 

After  breakfast  we  went  to  the  docks,  were  gone  till 
noon,  and  when  we  returned  found  a  note  and  a  message 
from  Hopeful.  The  note  was  for  a  hundred  dollars,  and 
t.he  messenger  said  that  he  was  ready  to  take  charge  of 


202  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   .  tf   EUROPE,   OB 

che  money,  and   convey  it  to  our  friend;  but  we   were 
ii ot  to  know  where  he  was. 

We  met  and  consulted  over  the  matter  for  a  while,  be 
fore  we  dismissed  the  messenger. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

HOPEFUL  IN  A  BAD  WAY.  —  HIS  MESSENGERS. — RO7  EB 
UNDERTAKES  A  DIFFICULT  TASK  AND  ACCOMPLISHES 
IT. A  PROPOSAL. 

THINGS  began  to  look  serious.  Hopeful  had  left  us  the 
afternoon  before,  in  company  with  a  young  and  handsome 
girl,  and  had  then  stated  that  he  should  rejoin  us  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  or  two.  Instead  of  doing  so,  he  had 
kept  away,  and  now  sent  an  order,  written  by  himself,  for 
a  hundred  dollars  in  gold,  or  twenty  pounds. 

"  What  had  we  best  do  about  the  matter  ? "  I  asked 
of  Fred  and  Murden. 

"  Send  the  money,"  both  of  them  responded,  "  and  with 
the  money,  a  note  asking  Hopeful  to  join  us  without  delay, 
as  we  want  to  leave  for  London." 

We  all  suspected  that  Hopeful  had  been  deceived  by 
the  pretty  face  of  the  girl,  and  that  he  was  throwing  away 
his  money  in  her  behalf.  We  knew  how  fond  he  was  of  a 
handsome  face,  and  how  easy  it  was  for  one  to  lead  him 
from  one  folly  to  another. 

I  wrote  the  note  and  gave  it  to  the  messenger,  with  the 
twenty  pounds.  The  fellow,  who  looked  like  a  broken- 
down  police  officer,  disappeared  in  an  instant;  and  that 
was  the  last  we  saw  of  the  man,  or  heard  of  Hopeful,  until 
the  next  morning,  when  a  second  note  was  handed  to  me 
by  a  different  messenger. 

I  opened  the  note  with  considerable  anxiety,  for  I  recog- 


THE    DBA.D    ALIVE.  203 

nized  Hopeful's  handwriting.  In  a  few  lines  he  asked  ma 
to  send  him  another  hundred  dollars  in  gold,  as  he  needed 
the  money  very  much.  Not  a  word  was  said  where  he 
was  or  when  he  should  rejoin  us. 

We  didn't  like  it.  If  he  kept  on  at  this  rate,  the  Bank 
of  England  would  be  needed  to  supply  his  demands.  I 
showed  the  letter  to  Fred  and  Murden.  They  gave  pro 
longed  whistles,  and  thought  that  the  joke,  if  it  was  one, 
had  been  carried  far  enough,  and  that  we  must  now  re 
fuse  to  advance  further  sums,  unless  Hez  appeared  in  per 
son  and  demanded  them. 

"  This  mystery  must  be  explained,"  said  Fred,  in  a  de 
cided  tone. 

"How?" 

"By  following  the  messenger,  and  seeing  where  he  goes." 

"Does  he  look  like  a  man  who  could  be  followed 
through  the  streets  of  a  strange  city  ? "  asked  Murden, 
alluding  to  the  messenger,  who  appeared  to  take  no  notice 
of  us,  yet,  I  doubted  not,  was  watching  all  our  motions 
with  the  stealthiness  of  a  cat. 

"  No,"  returned  Fred.  "  He  would  throw  us  off  the 
scent  before  we  could  turn  half  a  dozen  corners.  He  un 
doubtedly  knows  every  twist  and  turn  in  Liverpool.  We 
conld  do  nothing  with  him.  We  must  resort  to  other 
means." 

"Appeal  to  the  police,"  Murden  suggested. 

"And  before  we  could  get  word  to  them,  this  fellow 
will  have  disappeared  —  hid  himself  in  cellar  or  garret. 
No;  we  must  let  him  go,  yet  be  enabled  to  mark  the 
place  where  he  steps." 

"  How  ?  "  demanded  Fred  and  Murden. 

"  Step  into  another  room,  so  that  the  messenger  cannot 
overhear  us,  or  suspect  what  we  are  doing,  and  thus  defeat 
our  plans." 

My  friends  took  the  hint,  and  much  to  the  messenger's 
disgust,  as  expressed  on  his  coarse  face,  we  left  the  office 
and  went  to  a  side  room. 

must  save  Hopeful,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  we  had  en« 


204  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,    OB 

tered  the  apartment,  and  closed  the  door.  "He  has  fallen 
into  a  trap,  or  bad  company.  A  personal  interview  will 
bring  him,  but  letters  will  have  no  effect.  Now,  neither 
of  us  can  track  the  messenger  through  the  streets  of  the 
city;  so  we  must  adopt  another  plan.  We  will  let  Rover 
follow  the  fellow,  and  return,  and  report  to  us  where  he 
goes." 

"  Can  the  dog  do  so  much  in  a  strange  city  ?  In  Aus- 
tialia  I  should  have  no  doubt  of  his  sagacity.  But  here  I 
fear  the  test  will  be  too  much  for  him,"  Fred  said. 

"  I  have  confidence  in  Rover,"  I  replied.  "  He  is  almost 
human  in  his  understanding,  and  I  have  no  doubt  will  do 
the  best  that  he  can  to  help  us.  We  can  but  try  him." 

Fred  and  Murden  were  willing  to  try,  but  they  did  not 
have  confidence  in  the  plan  proposed.  I  was  willing  to 
run  the  risk,  so  called  Rover  from  the  room  in  which  I  had 
slept.  I  took  his  massive  head  in  my  hands,  and  talked  to 
him  just  as  I  would  to  a  human  being. 

"Rover,"  I  said,  "  Hopeful  is  lost,  and  you  must  find  him. 
Follow  the  man  you  see  me  talking  with,  and  then  come 
home  as  quick  as  you  can.  Be  careful  and  not  let  him 
know  that  you  are  watching  him." 

The  hound  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  and  seemed  to 
note  every  word  that  I  said. 

"You  understand  me,  don't  you,  Rover?" 

The  dog  wagged  his  tail  arid  would  have  barked  his 
expression  of  approval,  but  saw  that  such  a  course  would 
not  be  just  what  I  liked,  so  wisely  refrained  from  giving 
vent  to  his  joy  that  I  had  found  something  for  him  to  do. 
He  seemed  to  think  that  he  had  been  idle  long  enough. 

"  He'll  do  it,"  cried  Fred,  in  a  low  tone  of  approval. 
«  He  understands  every  word  that  you  say." 

We  returned  to  the  office.  The  messenger  had  waited 
for  us  quite  patiently,  for  he  came  towards  us  and  held 
out  his  hand  for  the  money.  Rover  stalked  into  the  room 
and  lay  down  in  one  corner,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  messen 
ger,  watching  his  every  movement. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  205 

"Come,"  said  the  fellow,  give  me  the  blunt;  I'm  in  a 
hurry  for  it." 

"  Wait  one  moment,"  I  replied ;  "  I  have  a  few  ques 
tions  to  ask  before  you  leave  us." 

"Well,  gov'nor,"  growled  the  fellow,  "just  put 'em  to 
me,  and  then  let  me  go,  'cos  I've  wasted  time  enough 
already  for  one  mornin'." 

"  Where  is  our  friend,  Hopeful  ?  " 

"  He's  safe,  I  s'pose,"  was  the  reply. 

"In  what  part  of  the  city?" 

"  I  ain't  much  acquainted  with  the  pints  of  the  com 
pass." 

"  Then  give  me  the  name  of  the  street  and  the  number 
of  the  house  in  which  he  is  stopping." 

"  That,  gov'nor,  is  somethin'  I  can't  do.  Your  friend 
told  me  not  to  let  on  where  he  was,  'cos  he  didn't  want  to 
be  disturbed  by  your  callin'  on  him." 

"If  I  should  make  you  a  present  of  a  sovereign,  would 
you  lead  me  to  our  friend's  quarters  ?  " 

?  No,  gov'nor,  I  couldn't  do  it  without  your  friend  told 
me  to.  If  he  says  yes,  I'm  your  man  to  pocket  the  blunt ; 
but  till  he  says  the  word  I'm  rnum." 

"  I'll  double  the  amount  if  you  will  conduct  us  to  the 
house  where  he  is  stopping." 

The  fellow  shook  his  head.  He  wanted  the  money,  but 
didn't  dare  to  earn  it  in  the  way  we  proposed. 

"  I  suppose  that  a  woman  detains  him,"  Fred  suggested. 

The  messenger  grinned,  and  said  that  he  supposed  so 
too. 

"  Is  she  a  young  girl  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Well,  your  friend  ain't  the  sort  of  a  man  to  be  de 
tained  by  an  old  one.  At  least  I  don't  think  he  is,"  wag 
the  messenger's  reply. 

The  man  once  more  held  out  his  hand  for  the  money 
and  looked  surprised  when  he  did  not  receive  it. 

"  No,"  I  said.  "  You  will  get  no  more  money  from  u& 
until  we  hear  from  our  friend,  or  see  him.  We  do  not 
know  what  he  does  with  so  much." 


206  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUttOFE,   OR 

"  I  s'pose  it  is  his'n  —  isn't  it  ?  "  was  the  next  question* 
"  I  s'pose  he  can  do  what  he  likes  with  his  own.  If  he  has 
the  putty  he  can  spend  it  —  can't  he  ?  " 

"  Not  foolishly,  as  long  as  he  is  in  company  with  us,"  I 
replied.  "  We  know  his  weakness,  and  intend  to  see  that 
it  is  not  abused." 

The  messenger  uttered  a  growl  of  rage  and  disappoint 
ment,  it  seemed  to  me,  and  a  minute  or  two  elapsed  before 
he  spoke. 

"  Then  I  s'pose,"  he  said,  "  that  I  must  tell  the  cove 
what  you  says." 

"  Yes,  tell  him  that  ten  pounds  a  day  is  expensive,  and 
that  he  can't  afford  so  much." 

"  Yes,  I'll  tell  him,  and  a  precious  rage  he'll  be  in  when 
I  does.  It  is  strange  that  a  cove  can't  use  his  own 
money." 

We  made  no  reply,  and,  after  waiting  for  a  moment,  the 
fellow  moved  off  and  left  the  hotel,  and  then  Rover  got 
up  and  followed  him. 

I  ran  up  stairs  to  an  upper  window,  and  looked  out. 
The  messenger  was  standing  on  the  corner  of  a  street, 
glancing  back  towards  the  hotel,  to  see  if  he  was  followed. 
Rover  was  looking  at  a  picture  in  the  window  of  a  print- 
shop,  and  appeared  deeply  interested  in  what  he  saw. 

The  messenger  remained  on  the  corner  five  minutes  or 
more,  watching  the  door  of  the  hotel,  to  see  if  either  of 
us  left  it.  Rover  appeared  to  be  satisfied  with  the  artistic 
effect  of  the  picture,  and  then  stopped  to  exchange  a  mo 
ment's  greeting  with  a  stranger  dog  that  happened  along 
just  at  that  moment. 

Finding  that  neither  of  us  was  following  him,  the  mes 
senger  turned  down  the  street,  and  disappeared.  Just  at 
that  moment  Rover  left  his  new  acquaintance,  the  stranger 
dog,  and  followed  the  messenger.  The  stranger  dog  did 
not  like  to  be  left  so  unceremoniously,  and  so  made  objec 
tions  ;  but  Rover  just  turned  his  head  and  showed  a  full 
set  of  teeth.  The  sight  was  si  fficient.  The  hound  was 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  207 

not  again  molested,  or  requested  to  remain  and  idle  away 
the  whole  afternoon  in  play. 

The  parties  disappeared  from  sight,  and  we  sat  clown, 
and  waited  patiently  for  Rover's  return.  He  did  not  como 
oack  for  an  hour  or  more.  Then  he  stalked  into  the  office, 
and  came  and  laid  his  head  on  my  knee. 

"  Did  you  track  him  ? "  I  asked ;  and  the  hound  re 
sponded  "  yes "  by  a  sweep  of  his  tail. 

«  Let  us  start  at  once  and  find  the  place  where  Hopeful 
is  concealed,"  Fred  said. 

"  No,  let  us  wait  and  see  what  message  he  returns,  after 
he  learns  that  we  refuse  to  supply  him  with  more  money. 
He  may  come  to  us,  and  so  save  us  trouble." 

My  advice  was  agreed  to.  We  took  good  care  to  be 
near  the  house  all  the  forenoon,  and  towards  night  another 
messenger  came  from  Hez. 

This  time  we  found  that  we  had  a  Liverpool  rough  of 
the  most  advanced  school  to  deal  with.  He  was  short- 
haired,  broad-shouldered,  pock-marked,  flat-nosed,  and  bore 
a  wonderful  resemblance  to  some  third-rate  prize-fighter, 
who  picks  up  a  living  by  hovering  in  the  vicinity  of  gin 
palaces  and  beer  saloons,  ready  to  fight  or  shake  down  a 
stranger,  pick  a  pocket,  or  garrote  a  person  whose  appear 
ance  testified  to  the  ownership  of  a  watch,  or  a  few  gold 
pieces. 

"  I  'spects  you  is  the  cove  what  I  wants  to  see,"  the 
short-haired  fellow  said,  by  the  way  of  introduction. 

"  Well,  if  such  is  the  case,  what  do  you  want  of  me  ?  M 
I  responded. 

"  Only  this.  A  friend  of  yourn,  what  I  happens  to  see 
to-day,  axed  me  to  make  a  call  on  yer,  and  speak  a  few 
words  in  yer  ear." 

He  looked  at  Murden  and  Fred  as  though  not  quite 
certain  whether  they  should  hear  his  message. 

"  Go  on,"  I  said.  "I  have  no  secrets  from  these  gentle 
men.  They  know  all  my  business.  Say  what  you  have 
to  say  before  them." 

This  did  not  suit  the  fellow ;  so  for  a  moment  he  rubbed 


208       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

his  short  hair  as  if  to  raise  an  idea,  and  when  he  had  found 
one,  let  it  out. 

"  It  ain't  exactly  accordin'  to  the  articles,  but  as  the 
money  ain't  up  1  s'pose  we  can  talk  a  little  afore  we  comes 
to  time.  Now  this  is  what  I  has  to  say,  and  no  more  and 
E-;  .088.  I  ain't  sparrin'  for  wind,  so  don't  you  think  I  is. 
I  hits  right  out,  as  straight  as  I  can,  when  time  is  called." 

"  Which  means  that  you  have  a  message  for  me  that  is 
rither  plain  in  its  language." 

"That's  the  dandy,  my  boy;  I  has  all  that.  Ye  see, 
yer  friend  he  says  to  me,  this  arternoon,  says  he,  '  Ban 
tam,' —  meanin'  me,  what  is  called  the  Bantam  Cock 
among  the  friends  of  the  noble  hart  of  self-defence  and  the 
prize-ring.  He  says  to  me, '  I  jist  want  yer  to  run  up  to 
the  hotel  where  the  men  what  calls  themselves  my  friends 
is  a-stoppin',  and  do  you  say  to  'em,  from  me,  that  they 
holds  a  precious  sight  of  my  swag,  —  a-meanin'  money,  of 
course,  —  and  that  I  wants  'em  to  come  down  with  some 
of  it,  jist  as  I  writ  for  it  to-day,  and  if  they  don't  come 
down,  I'll  know  the  reason  why.'  Them  was  his  words, 
jist  as  near  as  I  can  remember  'em." 

"  Can  you  tell  us  where  our  friend  has  concealed  him 
self?  "  I  asked,  as  soon  as  the  Bantam  Cock  had  conclud 
ed  his  long  harangue. 

"  That,  sir,  is  somethin'  what  I  has  nothin'  to  say  about. 
When  he  wants  to  see  his  friends  he'll  come  and  pay  'em 
a  visit ;  I  has  no  doubt  of  it.  He  told  me  to  keep  dark 
till  he  had  had  his  lark,  and  I  ain't  the  man  to  turn  my 
back  on  a  cove  what  has  axed  me  to  keep  mum  for  a 
while." 

"  Even  the  promise  of  five  sovereigns  would  not  induce 
you  to  bring  our  friend  to  us,  I  suppose  ?  " 

The  Bantam  shook  his  head,  but  in  so  feeble  a  manner 
that  we  saw  the  temptation  to  sell  out  was  a  great  one. 

"  No,"  he  said,  with  a  mighty  effort,  as  though  collecting 
all  his  energies  for  the  successful  ending  of  a  round.  "  No, 
I  can't  do  it,  although  I'd  like  to  oblige  yer  ever  so  much ; 
I  can't  go  back  on  my  backers." 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  ^ 

"  Come  in  here  and  let  us  talk  this  matter  over,"  I  said, 
for  I  thought  I  saw  signs  of  weakness  where  I  had  expect 
ed  much  strength. 

I  led  the  way  to  a  private  room,  and  called  one  of  the 
waiters. 

"  Let  us  have  a  bottle  of  wine,"  I  said.  "  We  can  '<alk 
better  over  it." 

"  No  wine  for  me,"  was  the  response  of  the  Bantam 
Cock.  "If  you  is  willin'  to  stand  somethin'  handsome, 
why,  jist  tell  'em  that  I  wants  a  go  of  brandy  and  water, 
with  a  little  sugar." 

I  ordered  his  favorite  drink,  and  then  we  once  more 
proceeded  to  business. 

"  If  you  will  recollect,"  I  said  to  the  Bantam,  who  ap 
peared  to  enjoy  his  tipple,  "  I  offered  you  five  sovereigns 
if  you  would  only  restore  our  friend  to  us." 

The  Bantam  emptied  his  glass  and  looked  at  the  bottom 
with  melancholy  satisfaction.  I  took  the  hint,  and  ordered 
a  repetition  of  the  dose. 

"Yes,  sir;  I  know  what  you  said,"  the  Bantam  re 
marked,  after  he  had  tested  his  new  supply  of  liquor. 

"  And  you  can't  accept  the  offer  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  can't.  I'd  do  most  anything  to  accommo 
date  you  swells,  'cos  I  think  you  is  trumps ;  but  I  can't 
take  the  money  for  that.  I  would  if  I  could." 

"Now  listen  to  me,"  I  remarked,  in  the  most  impres 
sive  tone  I  could  convey.  "You  will  lose  by  the  rejec 
tion  of  the  offer.  We  don't  intend  to  send  Hopeful  an 
other  pound  —  no,  not  so  much  as  a  shilling  —  if  he  should 
send  a  hundred  letters  or  a  hundred  messengers." 

The  Bantam  looked  into  his  glass  of  brandy,  and  said 
that  it  was  rather  steep  to  keep  a  friend  out  of  what  he 
had  a  right  to. 

"Not  at  all,"  said  Fred.  "Under  certain  circumstancea 
it  is  right.  We  believe  that  Hopeful  is  under  restraint, 
and  not  able  to  help  himself  as  he  should/' 

The  Bantam  said  that  he  didn't  know  anything  about 
14 


210  THE    GOLD    IIUNTEKS    IN   EUROPE,   OB 

that.  He  was  asked  to  do  a  message,  and  he  had,  and 
that  was  all  he  knew  about  it. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Fred,  "  remember  this  one  thing. 
We  leave  Liverpool  to-morrow.  After  we  are  gone,  the 
parties  who  are  now  at  work  with  our  friend  will  find 
that  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  made  out  of  him.  His 
letters  of  credit  are  with  us,  and  can't  be  used  without 
our  consent;  so  you  see  we  have  the  game  in  our  own 
hands,  and  we  mean  to  keep  it." 

"Does  you  mean  to  say  that  you  don't  care  whether 
the  cove  is  left  without  a  penny  or  no  ? "  demanded  the 
Bantam. 

"  Yes,  that  is  wrhat  we  mean,"  I  replied,  although  we 
did  not  mean  it ;  but  it  was  necessary  to  put  a  bold  face 
on  the  matter  when  dealing  with  such  people  as  the  Ban 
tam  Cock. 

"  If  I  thought  you  coves  was  in  real  downright  arnest," 
muttered  the  fellow,  with  a  doleful  look  at  his  empty 
glass. 

I  touched  the  bell  and  the  head  waiter  entered  the 
room. 

"  Repeat  what  I  said  to  you  this  morning,"  I  remarked 
to  the  waiter. 

"Yes,  sir;  I  will,  sir.  You  said,  sir,  that  you  should 
run  up  to  London  to-morrow,  and  to  have  your  bills  all 
ready,  sir.  S'pose  you  will  alter  your  mind,  sir,  and  stay 
with  us  some  time  to  come,  sir." 

"That  will  do.     Fill  this  man's  glass  with  brandy." 

The  Bantam  did  not  object.  As  soon  as  the  waiter 
had  obeyed  the  order  I  returned  to  the  charge. 

"  You  heard  what  was  said.  There  is  no  attempt  at 
deception  on  our  part.  We  are  in  earnest  in  what  we 
undertake.  Besides,  whether  we  have  your  aid  or  not, 
it  don't  matter.  We  know  where  our  friend  is." 

The  Bantam  Cock  was  so  astonished  that  he  put  hia 
glass  to  hn  lips  and  drank  half  his  brandy  before  ho 
knew  what  he  was  about. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  211 

"  You  don't  mean  it,"  he  said,  when  he  had  recovered 
from  his  surprise. 

"We  do  mean  it." 

"You  ain't  had  the  peelers  on  the  track — has  you?" 
asked  the  man. 

"  We  know  where  Hopeful  is  confined,  and  before  you 
can  give  warning  to  remove  him  to  another  place,  wo 
shall  be  near  him." 

"  Who  stalked  the  messenger  ?  " 

"What?" 

We  didn't  understand  him. 

"Who  tracked  the  cove  what  come  here  this  mornin'? 
It  was  Slippery  Jim,  and  he  isn't  often  gone  back  on. 
Was  it  a  detective  ?  We  knows  'em  all,  and  is  on  the 
lookout  for  'em  when  we  has  a  job  of  this  kind.  Come, 
tell  a  cove  who  it  was." 

"  You  shall  know  when  we  have  secured  the  person  of 
our  friend,  —  not  before." 

"  All  right.  Give  me  some  more  swipes  and  I'll  peel 
the  whole  story  for  yer,  on  the  ground  that  ye  planks  the 
dust  arter  I've  come  to  time.'* 

We  ordered  more  liquor,  and  promised  the  Bantam 
that  we  would  give  him  the  money  as  soon  as  he  had 
aided  us  to  the  extent  of  his  power;  but  first  he  must 
tell  us  how  it  happened  that  Hopeful  remained  where  he 
was,  instead  of  joining  us,  as  he  promised  he  would  do, 
when  we  landed  on  the  dock  at  Liverpool. 

The  Bantam  Cock  winked  one  of  his  little  fishy-looking 
eyes,  and  tipped  his  hat  over  his  forehead,  as  he  laughed 
at  tin  question. 

"  A~,"  he  said,  "  you  don't  know  the  games  of  Liver- 
px>l.  This  is  one  of  'em,  and  a  mighty  good  one,  too, 
n  >w  I  tell  you.  In  fact,  I  think  it  is  the  best  one  what 
we  uses." 

"  Tell  us  ;11  about  it,"  Fred  said. 

"  I  will,"  replied  the  fellow.  "  Here  goes  for  a  last 
confession,  as  the  man  said  what  was  to  be  hung.  But 


SS12  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUEOPE,   OB 

mind,  you  won't  blab  on  me,  will  you,  and  so  spile  oui 
game  ?  " 

"  No,  we  will  not." 

"  Then  here  goes."  But  the  yarn  must  be  reserved  foi 
the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A     PROPOSITION.  —  IT     IS     ACCEPTED, IN     SEARCH      OF 

HOPEFUL. THE    SALOON,   AND   WHAT   WE    SAW    THERE. 

—  DAISY   APPEARS. 

WE  lighted  fresh  cigars  —  some  that  we  brought  from 
home,  and  not  the  miserable  German  things  for  sale  at  the 
hotel  —  and  then  prepared  to  listen  to  the  Bantam  Cock's 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  Hopeful  had  been  taken 
possession  of  by  the  roughs  of  Liverpool,  who  were  deter 
mined  to  bleed  him  to  death  before  they  let  him  go. 

"  The  fact  of  it  is,"  said  the  prize-fighter,  with  a  grin, 
"  I  s'pose  you  know  we're  on  it.  That  is,  we  is  on  our 
make,  and  we  is  on  the  lookout  all  the  time  for  flats. 
Now,  ye  see,  there's  no  sich  thing  in  this  world  to  rope  a 
man  in  as  a  gal  with  a  fresh  face,  and  lots  of  good  lo^ks, 
and  a  devilish  lot  of  art,  —  now  is  there  ?  " 

We  all  three  bowed  in  silent  acknowledgment  of  the 
truth  of  the  statement.  Alas,  we  knew  by  experience 
that  a  girl  with  a  handsome  face  was  more  than  a  match 
for  the  hardest-headed  man  in  our  party. 

"  Well,  gents,  there's  a  party  of  coves  what  keeps  three 
or  four  gals  agoin'  between  here  and  Dublin,  and  they  jist 
picks  up  the  most  promising  men  they  can  find  on  the 
steamers.  One  of  us  men  goes  with  each  gal  to  see  that 
she  does  her  duty,  and  to  protect  her  in  case  things*  ain't 
square.  I  was  on  the  steamer  that  brought  you  from 
Dublin." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  213 

"  We  didn't  see  you  on  board." 

"  Yes,  but  you  did,  though.  You  looked  at  me  several 
times,  but  I  wasn't  quite  so  young  lookin'  as  I  am  now. 
You  see  I  had  on  a  false  gray  beard  and  a  wig,  and  that 
was  the  way  I  was  disguised,  and  I  could  keep  near  rny 
Daisy, —  that's  what  we  calls  her,  'cos  she  looks  RO  fresh 
and  cosy,  —  and  could  post  her  a  little  on  those  who  was 
on  board." 

"Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  could  pick  up  some  one 
each  trip  ?  "  demanded  Murden. 

"  Of  course  I  could  with  Daisy.  She  is  one  of  the  best 
stools  that  we  has.  Sometimes  she  gets  as  many  as  two 
or  three  on  a  string,  at  one  trip,  and  then  it  pays." 

"But  how  did  it  happen  that  she  hit  on  Hopeful?" 
Murden  continued. 

"  Well,  gents,  I'll  tell  yer  that,  'cos  ye  see  the  gal  was  a 
little  wilful  that  day,  and  I  had  to  speak  kinder  cross  to 
her  more'n  once.  She'd  set  her  mind  on  havin'  a  different 
sort  of  cove  from  your  friend,  and  I  had  some  trouble  to 
put  her  right.  She's  got  a  will  of  her  own,  has  Daisy, 
when  she  takes  a  mind  to  show  it." 

"Who  did  she  want  to  exert  her  fascinations  upon?" 
asked  Murden. 

The  Bantam  laughed. 

"  Well  sir,  it  wan't  you." 

"Who  was  it?" 

"  Well,  sir,  I  don't  want  to  hurt  any  one's  feelings,  I 
don't." 

"Nonsense!  just  as  though  what  you  said  could  have 
any  influence  on  us,"  Murden  cried. 

"  Well,  ye  see,"  continued  the  Bantam  Cock,  "  the  gal 
put  her  eyes  on  you  two  gents,"  pointing  to  Fred  and  my 
self,  "  and  said  that  she  should  like  to  have  one  of  you 
come  to  time.  She  didn't  care  which,  but  she  rather  fan 
cied  this  ere  one,"  nodding  to  Fred,  and  causing  that 
Worthy  fellow  to  blush  in  the  most  remarkable  manner. 

"You  interfered  in  her  choice  —  did  you?"  I  asked. 

"  Well,  I  rather  think  I  did.     I  could  see  at  a  glance 


214  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EL  ROPE,   OR 

that  you  two  gents  wan't  the  kind  to  be  bamboozled  bj  a 
gal  of  her  kidney,  and  so  I  jist  told  her  to  lay  herself  out 
for  the  green-lookin'  one,  and  she  did.  He  bit  at  the  hook 
fast  enough,  and  she  landed  him  on  shore,  safe  and  sound ; 
and  I  must  say  that  she  has  done  well  by  him.  We've 
got  more  than  we  ginerally  do,  but  we  did  hope  to  do 
better  by  him  than  any  one  what  we  caught." 

Of  course  we  were  not  much  shocked  at  the  revelations 
made  by  the  prize-fighter.  We  knew  that  vice  existed  in 
all  the  large  cities  of  Europe,  and  we  did  not  expect  to 
pass  through  them  without  our  eyes  being  offended  by 
the  sight  of  some  of  the  degradations  of  women ;  but  the 
entrapping  of  Hopeful  showed  us  that  all  kinds  of  strata 
gems  were  resorted  to  by  the  fallen  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  money  through  their  shame.  We  each  of  us 
mentally  resolved  to  keep  a  closer  watch  over  Hez  in  the 
future,  and  to  guard  him  against  the  wiles  of  the  opposite 
sex.  We  knew  that  we  assumed  a  task  of  no  ordinary 
magnitude,  but  we  were  men  determined  to  do  our  whole 
duty,  regardless  of  consequences. 

"  Now,"  I  said  to  the  Bantam  Cock,  "  you  have  told 
your  story  in  a  few  words.  We  want  to  see  the  end  as 
soon  as  possible.  When  can  you  undertake  to  deliver 
Hopeful  into  our  hands  ?  " 

"You  speak  as  though  I  could  do  it  on  time,"  was  the 
reply.  "  Now  I  can't.  We  must  play  the  double  on  the 
people  at  the  house,  and  jist  cut  your  friend  out  right 
under  their  eyes." 

"  We  are  ready  for  the  job.     Lead  us  to  the  house." 

"  What,  jist  as  you  is  ?  "  cried  the  fellow,  in  astonish 
ment.  "  Why,  you'd  get  your  bloody  heads  knocked  off 
afore  ye  knowed  it.  No,  sirs,  you  can't  go  as  swells  and 
do  much  good,  unless  ye  want  to  fight  like  blazes,  and  I 
don't  s'pose  ye  do.  Ye  must  change  yer  dress  and  appear 
ance,  and  do  jist  as  I  tell  yer  to,  and  then  I  hopes  we  can 
come  out  all  right." 

"Do  as  you  please  about  it.  Furnish  us  with  just  snob 
disguises  as  yon  desire,  and  we'll  wear  them." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  215 

«*  And  allow  a  cove  little  somethin'  for  'em  ?  " 
"Yes." 

"That's  comin'  to  time.  Now  we  begins  to  understand 
each  other." 

"When  must  we  start  for  the  place  where  Hopeful  is 
confined?" 

"Not  afore  night.  It's  a  lushin'  ken  where  he  is,  anJ 
only  at  night  does  coves  flock  there.  To  be  seen  afore 
dark  would  make  trouble.  Jist  be  trained  by  me,  and 
you'll  come  out  all  right." 

We  promised  compliance,  and  then  the  Bantam  Cock 
left  us,  to  return  in  the  evening  with  such  disguises  as  we 
would  require  to  protect  us  from  inquisitive  eyes. 

About  eight  o'clock  our  man  made  his  appearance,  and 
to  our  joy  quite  sober.  He  evidently  appreciated  the  fact 
that  coolness  and  decision  were  necessary  to  carry  us 
through  the  enterprise  which  we  had  undertaken. 

"The  coves  is  mad,"  he  said,  "'cos  you  don't  bleed  as 
free  as  they  s'posed,  and  they  swear  that  your  friend  can't 
leave  the  house  till  he  comes  down  with  more  of  the  flim 
sies.  But  we'll  have  him  out  if  things  work  well.  Only 
don't  be  too  fast.  Jist  keep  your  wind,  and  sail  in  when  I 
tells  yer." 

As  he  spoke,  the  disguises  were  produced,  and  we  went 
to  our  rooms  to  put  them  on.  We  found  some  wagoners' 
frocks,  velveteen  breeches,  and  rather  rough-looking  hats, 
which  we  had  some  delicacy  about  putting  on,  for  fear  of 
the  consequences ;  but  the  Bantam  assured  us  that  no  one 
had  worn  the  clothes  for  many  months,  and  that  if  they 
had  contained  live  stock  at  one  time,  they  must  have  died 
out  tor  the  want  of  sustenance. 

As  soon  as  the  disguises  were  on,  the  Bantam  exercised 
his  ingenuity  by  disarranging  our  hair,  making  it  appear 
as  though  it  had  not  seen  a  comb  or  brush  for  several 
days.  Then  he  commenced  on  our  faces,  smearing  them 
with  an  ointment  that  rendered  them  rough-looking,  as 
Uiough  they  had  been  exposed  to  the  weather  for  years, 
and  had  rarely  known  the  advantages  of  soap  and  water 


216        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OE 

To  complete  our  adornment,  in  which  he  was  assisted 
by  Murden,  who  had  had  much  Australian  experience  in 
disguises,  the  Bantam  painted  a  stain  under  one  of  Fred's 
eyes,  as  though  a  blow  had  left  its  impression  by  congeal 
ing  some  blood  under  the  optic. 

This  was  one  of  the  Bantam's  happy  hits,  and  he  prided 
himself  on  it,  for  he  stood  off  like  a  landscape  painter,  and 
surveyed  the  result  of  his  work  with  much  complacency. 

"  That  will  take  with  the  coves  at  the  lushin'  ken,"  he 
Baid.  "They  will  know  by  that  mark  that  you've  ben 
game  enough  to  stand  up  and  take  punishment  like  a 
glutton." 

This  was  gratifying,  to  say  the  least. 

"If  any  one  should  hax  you  about  that  ere  hi,  you  jist 
tell  'em  that  you  give  the  feller  as  good  as  he  sent,  and 
that  you  offered  to  bet  him  ten  pounds  that  you  could  lick 
him  in  a  fair  fight.  That  will  bring  you  up  to  the  mark 
as  a  fightin'  man,  and  make  you  respected." 

We  promised  compliance  with  the  directions,  and  then, 
slipping  our  revolvers  into  our  pockets,  we  left  the  hotel, 
Rover  remaining  behind,  for  fear  that  he  would  incommode 
us  with  his  inquisitive  habits;  and  if  he  had  once  got 
scent  of  Hopeful,  he  would  have  excited  suspicion  by  his 
desperate  attempts  to  find  him. 

It  was  nine  o'clock  when  we  left  the  hotel.  We  passed 
through  some  badly-lighted  and  very  dirty  streets.  Their 
names  I  do  not  remember,  nor  do  I  care  to ;  but,  after 
crossing  Waterloo  Street,  we  plunged  into  a  thoroughfare 
more  dark  and  slimy  than  any  we  had  seen. 

Here  we  saw  two  policemen  standing  on  the  sidewalk 
and  talking  together.  We  were  about  to  pass  them,  when 
they  stepped  in  our  path,  thus  barring  our  passage,  while 
at  the  same  time  one  of  them  threw  the  light  of  his  dark 
lantern  into  our  faces;  and  as  he  did  so,  both  officers 
scanned  our  features  with  considerable  earnestness,  as  if 
desirous  of  knowing  us  again,  should  they  ever  see  us. 

"  Well,  Bantam,  what  is  up  to-night  ?  "  asked  one  of  the 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  217 

peelers,  in  a  tone  that  showed  no  great  respect  for  our 
companion. 

The  Bantam  was  humble,  as  he  answered, — 

w  O,  nothin'  is  goin'  on  what  I  know  of.  It's  precious 
dull  times  jist  now,  and  things  won't  liven  up  till  a  good 
match  is  made  atween  the  Pet  and  the  Slasher." 

"Be  careful  that  you  don't  miss  seeing  that  match,"  was 
the  warning  of  the  officer,  in  a  tone  so  ominous  that  it 
struck  me  the  Bantam  Cock  was  a  little  under  suspicion 
for  some  gay  freak. 

"  Don't  you  go  for  to  fear  for  me,"  was  the  reply.  "  I'm 
all  right." 

"And  your  companions  —  how  are  they?"  And  the 
officer  nodded  to  us. 

"  They  is  coves  from  Manchester,  on  a  visit  to  see  th« 
Chicken." 

The  officers  gave  us  another  sharp  look,  and  suffered  UP 
to  pass  on. 

"  Blast  their  bloody  impudence,"  muttered  the  Bantam, 
whose  self-respect  and  pride  had  been  lowered  by  the  inter 
view.  "  What  did  they  mean  by  blabbing  to  me  in  that 
ere  way  ?  " 

As  we  did  not  know,  we  wisely  refrained  from  answer 
ing  the  question ;  and  when  the  Bantam  Cock  had  said 
that  he  would  like  to  punch  their  heads,  and  then  kick  the 
guardians  of  the  law,  he  concluded  to  continue  his  journey; 
but  as  we  walked  along,  we  were  somewhat  shocked  by 
his  profanity,  which  found  vent  in  the  hardest  oaths  that 
man  ever  invented. 

But  all  at  once  the  Bantam  stopped  walking  and  curs 
ing  at  the  same  time.  He  pointed  to  a  sign  that  hung 
across  the  sidewalk,  and  we  saw  that  we  were  nearly  oppo- 
eite  the  celebrated  "  Golden  Horseshoe,"  a  low  tavern,  or 
saloon,  quite  common  in  all  the  large  cities  in  England, 
where  women  without  virtue  frequented,  and  men  with 
out  honor  or  morals  could  be  found  at  all  times,  desperate 
and  hungry  for  crime,  and  little  inclination  for  respectable 
employment. 


THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EF  IOPE,   OR 

"There's  the  ken  where  your  frier  d  is,"  whispered  the 
Bantam.  "We  will  go  in  and  have  a  drink,  and  do  you 
mind  your  eyes,  or  ye'll  get  'era  knocked  out.  Don't  bo 
gorpin'  round,  and  thinkin'  you  can  i^.e  the  cove  and  hia 
woman,  'cos  you  can't  till  all  things  "5  ready.  Now  you 
mind  me  —  don't  you?" 

We  said  that  we  did. 

"Now  let  me  feel  of  yer  hands,  an<?  see  if  yer  is  flu* 
tercd  any  at  the  prospwt  afore  ye." 

He  felt  of  our  hands  and  pulses,  an(?  expressed  hinuel 
perfectly  astonished  at  the  coolness  which  we  exhibited. 

"Blast  my  bloody  eyes,"  he  said,  "if  y^r  ain't  jist  Klit 
lumps  of  ice ;  as  cool  as  fellers  what  ia  certain  to  win  t 
fight.  What  makes  yer  like  this?" 

"Because  we  are  not  afraid,"  I  said;  bit  .T  did  not  tel' 
the  fellow  that  we  had  passed  through  more,  dangers  thai 
those  which  now  threatened  us,  and  that  we  had  facec? 
bushrangers  wTho  were  more  like  dernonr  than  men. 

"  I  believes  yer,"  was  the  response.  "  YouM  make  splen 
did  coves  for  seconds  in  a  prize-fight.  I  v/'sh  I  coult' 
count  on  yer,  now  I  tell  yer." 

We  did  not  pledge  ourselves  to  take  the  pot\t;ons  which 
he  desired;  so,  after  a  moment's  delay,  the  leKiw  led  the 
way  into  the  Horseshoe,  and  we  followed  him. 

It  was  a  narrow  room,  which  we  entered,  but  it  war 
long,  and  at  the  extreme  end,  some  way  from  the  bar,  war 
a  platform,  and  on  it  was  a  piano.  Along  the  room  on 
each  side  were  small  tables,  where  four  persons  could  bo 
seated,  and  drink  and  smoke  pipes  at  their  ease. 

Some  dozen  of  the  tables  were  occupied  by  females 
alone,  and  half  a  dozen  by  males  and  females,  all  drinking* 
their  half  and  halfj  and  smoking  long  clay  pipes.  I  don't 
mean  that  all  the  women  were  smoking  as  well  as  the 
men  ;  but  truth  compels  me  to  state  that  some  of  the 
women  were  blowing  a  cloud  with  considerable  freedom, 
and  as  though  they  rather  liked  it.  But  they  were  the 
most  hardened  of  all  who  assembled  in  the  Golden  Horse' 
shoe 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  219 

When  we  entered  the  place,  half  a  dozen  men  were 
standing  in  front  of  the  bar  drinking,  as  a  matter  of 
course.  They  glanced  at  us  as  we  entered,  and  one  or  two 
nodded  their  heads  at  our  guide ;  but  the  majority  of  tho 
company  did  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  salute  the  Bantam, 
for  the  simple  reason  that  they  looked  upon  him  almost  iu 
the  light  of  a  sneaking  thief,  owing  to  his  connection  with 
women  who  fleeced  susceptible  strangers. 

The  Bantam  did  not  look  quite  so  important  or  pom 
pous  when  he  saw  the  roughs  at  the  counter  of  the  bar; 
and  the  reason  why  he  did  not  was  because  the  redoubt 
able  Chicken,  the  great  prize-fighter  of  Liverpool,  was  at 
the  bar  indulging  in  a  pot  of  porter  at  some  admirer's 
expense. 

"Halloo,  Bantam,"  cried  some  one,  as  we  entered; 
"who  have  you  got  in  tow  just  now?  More  victims  for 
Daisy?" 

The  Bantam  laughed  in  a  sneaking  manner,  as  he 
replied,  — 

"Does  these  coves  look  as  though  they  was  worth 
Daisy's  notice?  They  hasn't  got  ten  pounds,  all  told,  in 
this  world.  No ;  they  has  jist  come  from  Manchester  to 
see  the  Chicken,  and  to  know  how  to  bet  their  shillin's 
when  the  fight  comes  off.  I  tell  yer  what,  arter  they  has 
seen  the  man  what  is  to  win  the  fight,  they  will  feel 
better." 

The  prize-fighter  seemed  to  like  this  bit  of  flattery ;  for 
he  grinned  a  little  in  approval  at  us,  and  when  we  asked 
him  if  he  would  take  a  drink  with  us,  appeared  to  yield 
to  our  solicitations  without  much  urging.  He  seemed  to 
regard  it  as  a  tribute  to  his  name  and  rank  in  the  walks 
of  prizo-fighting  life. 

Of  course  we  could  do  no  less  than  ask  those  who 
were  standing  at  the  bar  to  drink  with  us,  and  this  was 
too  customary  a  proceeding  to  attract  notice ;  for  many  a 
poor  man,  in  England,  would  starve  himself  and  family 
for  the  purpose  of  treating  a  celebrated  bruiser. 

"  Well,  mate,"  said  the  Chicken,  as  he  emptied  his  glass, 


THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

speaking  to  Fred,  and  pointing  to  the  stained  eye,  "  som« 
one  has  nearly  closed  one  of  your  shutters." 

"Yes;  but  the  cove  what  did  it  got  both  of  his  peepers 
done  up  in  mourning,  to  pay  for  it,"  was  Fred's  answer,  in 
a  tope  that  meant  to  convey  considerable  bounce. 

"Do  yer  want  to  make  a  match?"  was  the  eager  ques 
tion  half  a  dozen  of  the  fellows  propounded ;  but  to  this 
Fred  shook  his  head,  and  said  that  things  were  working 
all  right  in  that  direction,  provided  certain  parties  could 
raise  money  to  put  up. 

The  Bantam  Cock  was  not  easy  in  the  company  of  the 
Chicken  and  his  admirers,  so  soon  retired  to  one  of  the 
tables  and  called  for  beer  and  pipes,  and  then  we  were 
jnmed  by  half  a  dozen  of  the  female  frequenters  of  the 
place,  tfho  were  anxious  that  we  should  bestow  some  atten 
tion  tivon  them ;  and  we  did  select  three  of  the  best  look 
ing  aii<i  cleanest,  and  treated  them  to  beer  and  cheese;  and 
the  poor  things  needed  all  that  they  received,  for  they 
were  full  of  misery  and  want,  objects  of  pity  to  Ameri 
cans,  and  abuse  and  ill  treatment  to  subjects  of  her  majesty. 

At  last  we  got  rid  of  the  females,  and  were  left  alone  for 
consultation.  We  were  impatient  to  begin  our  work,  and 
commence  a  search  for  Hopeful ;  but  the  Bantam  would 
not  budge,  or  point  out  the  course  which  we  were  to  pur 
sue,  until  the  proper  time. 

"You  jist  wait,"  he  said,  "till  I  tells  yer  when  time  is 
called.  We  wants  more  beer ;  so  now  order  it." 

We  did  so ;  and  before  the  pewter  pots  were  emptied, 
crowds  of  men  and  women  entered  the  saloon  to  listen  lo 
the  singing  and  music  which  the  proprietor  of  the  Golden 
Horseshoe  always  served  up  to  his  guests  at  a  certain  hoar 
of  the  night. 

Just  as  the  pianist  took  his  seat,  a  short,  stout-built  man, 
with  mutton-chop  whiskers  and  the  face  of  a  brute,  cassed 
through  the  saloon,  looking  to  the  right  and  left,  as  inough 
to  see  that  all  were  helped,  and  eating  and  drinking  with 
all  their  might. 

I  noticed  that  the  women  shivered  when  the  brutish- 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  221 

appearing  man  looked  at  them ;  so  I  was  satisfied  that  he 
was  a  tyrant,  a  scamp  who  would  raise  his  hands  against 
one  of  the  opposite  sex  on  the  slightest  provocation. 
Even  the  Bantam  was  not  easy  when  the  bully  looked 
at  him. 

"  That's  the  cove  what  we  has  to  fear,"  whispered  the 
Bantam.  "  He  is  the  landlord,  and  keeps  all  these  gals  in 
his  pay,  so  that  he  can  send  'em  off  where  and  when  he 
pleases.  Daisy  is  his  best  card ;  and  if  he  knowed  we 
was  here  to  block  his  game,  he'd  set  all  them  coves  what 
we  seed  at  the  bar  on  us;  and  then  shouldn't  we  be 
marked?" 

The  Bantam  watched  the  landlord  until  he  left  the 
house,  in  company  with  some  of  the  roughs ;  and  then  our 
guide  breathed  easier,  as  though  a  load  was  removed  from 
his  mind. 

"  Now's  our  time,"  the  Bantam  whispered.  "  One  of 
you  get  up  and  pass  out  of  that  door,  kinder  slow  like, 
you  know,  as  though  you  wasn't  in  a  hurry.  When  you 
gets  in  the  passage-way,  jist  wait  for  the  rest  of  us." 

Murden  was  the  first  one  to  start,  followed  by  Fred,  and 
then  I  passed  out  of  the  room  and  joined  my  friends.  Wo 
had  to  wait  five  minutes  for  the  Bantam,  for  he  did  not 
leave  the  saloon  by  the  same  door  that  we  did. 

"Come  on,"  he  said,  as  soon  as  he  joined  us.  "We  ain't 
got  no  time  to  lose,  now  I  kin  tell  yer." 

We  passed  through  a  long  passage-way,  out  into  a  yard, 
which  we  crossed,  and  then  entered  a  building  that  was 
separated  from  the  houses  near  it  by  a  high  picket  fence. 

Here  the  Bantam  told  us  to  make  as  little  noise  as  pos 
sible,  but  to  follow  him.  It  was  dark ;  but  we  took  hold 
of  each  other's  hands,  and  moved  along. 

We  passed  up  a  flight  of  steps,  and  then  saw  a  light 
under  a  door  at  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

Here  we  made  a  little  more  noise  than  was  desirable, 
when  a  door  was  thrown  open,  and  Daisy  appeared  on 
the  threshold,  with  a  lighted  candle  in  her  hand. 


222  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OK 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A.    STRUGGLE.  —  A    PRISONER.  —  SEARCH     FOR   HOPEFUL.—* 
THE   LOST   ONE   FOUND.  —  A   SURPRISE. 

THE  sight  of  a  pretty  woman  should  not  surprise  any 
one,  for  they  are  rather  common  in  England ;  but  I  must 
confess  that  I  was  a  little  astonished  at  the  sudden  appear 
ance  of  Daisy  in  the  doorway  at  the  head  of  the  stairs. 
To  be  sure,  we  had  expected  to  see  her,  but  we  thought 
that  we  should  have  some  little  warning  before  we  met 
her  face  to  face. 

We  stopped  the  instant  the  fresh-faced  girl  confronted 
us,  for  we  did  not  know  what  to  say  to  her,  and  I  am  cer 
tain  that  she  did  not  know  what  to  say  to  us;  so  for  a  mo 
ment  we  stood  looking  at  her  as  intently  as  she  looked 
at  us. 

«  Well,"  she  said  at  last,  without  exhibiting  the  least 
tremor  of  alarm,  "  what  do  you  want  up  here  at  this  hour 
of  the  night?" 

She  looked  directly  at  the  Bantam  Cock,  and  seemed  to 
expect  an  answer  from  him. 

"  Why,  Daisy,"  he  said,  "  these  here  is  some  friends  of 
mine,  what  I  want  to  introduce  to  you." 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  them,"  was  the  reply;  and  she  cast 
one  disdainful  glance  at  the  rough  clothing  which  we  wore, 
as  though  she  was  not  in  the  habit  of  associating  with  men 
of  our  style  of  life. 

"  Not  even  for  a  moment  ?  "  asked  the  Bantam. 

"  No,"  was  the  decided  answer ;  and  the  beauty  turned 
away,  as  though  to  reenter  her  room. 

At  this  moment,  while  her  white,  round  shoulders  ivere 
exhibited  to  our  view  in  the  most  tantalizing  manner, 
Fred  stepped  forward  and  laid  one  hand  on  her  arm. 

She  shook  him  off  as  though  he  had  been  a  viper,  an</ 
her  handsome  face  flashed  the  auger  that  she  felt. 


THE    DEAD    AI/IVE.  223 

"  You  low-lived  cuss,"  she  said,  "  what  do  you  mean  by 
laying  your  paws  on  me  ?  " 

Alas !  although  Daisy  was  beautiful,  she  had  a  temper  of 
oer  own,  and  could  not  command  it  on  all  occasions  as 
well  as  she  should.  When  she  was  angered  she  could  not 
always  use  such  choice  language  as  one  naturally  expects 
ic  a  pretty  girl. 

"  I  meant  no  harm,"  Fred  said,  by  the  way  of  an  apology, 
although  he  was  not  so  much  startled  by  the  flash  of  an 
ger  as  one  would  have  expected. 

"  Then  keep  your  mawleys  off  me,"  returned  the  lady, 
who  judged  only  by  outside  appearances.  "  If  you  don't 
want  another  peeper  put  in  mourning,  you  just  keep  your 
self  to  yourself." 

She  meant  that,  as  Fred  had  one  black  eye,  she  would 
give  him  another  to  keep  it  company,  unless  he  was  more 
civil  than  she  thought  he  was  likely  to  be. 

Once  more  the  girl  turned  her  back  upon  us,  and  was 
about  to  disappear  in  her  chamber ;  but  Fred  again  inter 
posed. 

As  quick  as  a  cat  the  girl  raised  her  right  hand  and 
struck  at  our  friend,  intending  to  let  her  fist  fall  on  his 
face,  and  thus  carry  out  her  threat ;  but  Fred  was  as  quick 
as  she  was,  and  easily  avoided  the  blow. 

"  I  wouldn't  do  that  again,"  he  said,  in  his  most  tender 
tones.  "  It  is  not  lady-like,  and  does  injury  to  your  beauty. 
Let  us  be  friends,  not  enemies." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  asked,  in  some  degree  astonished 
at  Fred's  coolness  and  decision. 

"  I  ara  a  man,  and  would  be  your  friend,  if  you  would 
let  me,"  was  the  answer. 

Just  at  that  moment  we  heard  a  volley  of  sharp  oaths 
in  the  lady's  apartment;  and  then  who  should  come  to 
the  door  but  the  landlord  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe  —  tho 
bully  whom  we  had  noticed  scowling  at  the  women  in  the 
saloon !  He  was  an  ugly-looking  brute  at  the  best  of 
times,  but  now  he  appeared  more  like  a  fiend  than  a  hu 
man  being. 


224        1"HE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

u  What's  the  row  ?  "  asked  the  landlord,  in  a  sharp  tone, 
and  with  a  long  string  of  oaths  to  make  his  remarks  €ra- 
j)hatic. 

We  looked  for  the  Bantam  Cock  to  answer  him,  but 
that  worthy  person  had  disappeared  from  sight  as  soon  as 
he  heard  the  landlord's  voice. 

"  There's  no  row  here,"  Fred  answered.  u  We  are  only- 
looking  for  lodgings." 

The  bully  roared  his  rage  at  the  reply. 

uWe  don't  allow  lodgers  in  this  part  of  the  house. 
Who  told  you  to  come  here?  Who  showed  you  up  here? 
Clear  out,  or  I'll  kick  you  down  stairs." 

We  did  not  turn  and  run,  as  the  fellow  expected.  Mur- 
den  and  Fred  uttered  long-drawn  sighs,  as  though  testing 
their  wind  before  the  struggle,  which  they  knew  must 
come,  sooner  or  later.  We  had  faced  more  savage  men 
than  the  one  before  us,  so  were  not  in  the  least  fright 
ened  at  the  ravings  of  the  bully  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe. 

"We  shall  go  down  stairs  when  we  get  ready  to  go,  and 
not  before,"  Fred  replied,  in  a  tone  that  was  well  calculat 
ed  to  make  the  landlord  madder  than  ever. 

He  was  not  accustomed  to  such  plain-spoken  words ;  so 
I  was  not  surprised  when  I  saw  the  fellow  make  a  spring 
for  Fred's  throat. 

"  Look  out,"  I  said ;  but  the  warning  was  unnecessary, 
for  Fred  saw  the  contemplated  movement  as  soon  as  I ; 
and  when  the  landlord  made  his  spring,  my  friend  stepped 
aside,  and  let  his  antagonist  dash  against  the  partition  that 
was  just  behind  us. 

I  don't  think  that  I  ever  saw  more  rage  and  profound 
astonishment  on  one  face  than  what  appeared  on  the 
countenance  of  the  landlord  of  the  Horseshoe.  He  was 
not  accustomed  to  such  movements,  and  instead  of  grasp 
ing  Fred's  windpipe,  he  found  that  the  bare  wall  was  all 
that  he  had  reached. 

He  turned  on  us  like  a  snarling  wolf  at  bay,  and  then 
made  one  step  forward  and  put  up  his  hands.  We  knew 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE. 

what  that  meant,  but  still  had  no  such  fears  as  had  in 
spired  the  Bantam  Cock  to  run. 

"  Will  you  leave  ? "  asked  the  bully,  and  drew  back  as 
though  to  hit  out  from  his  shoulder  with  his  right  arm ; 
but  his  fierce  little  eyes  showed  a  different  meaning,  and 
when  the  blow  was  aimed  it  came  from  the  left  shoulder, 
and  was  easily  turned  aside;  and  then  Fred's  opportunity 
occuned,  and  he  was  not  the  man  to  neglect  it. 

There  was  no  feinting  on  his  part.  My  friend  was  too 
prompt  not  to  pay  off  all  that  he  owed  as  soon  as  it  was 
fairly  due ;  so,  as  soon  as  the  landlord's  fist  had  been  thrust 
aside,  Fred's  hand  was  sent  out  on  a  voyage  of  discovery, 
and,  wonderful  to  relate,  it  found  a  tender  piece  of  skin 
just  between  the  man's  eyes. 

With  such  force  and  so  unexpected  was  the  blow,  that 
the  landlord  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe  lost  his  perpendicu 
lar,  and  down  he  tumbled  to  the  floor. 

"Don't  let  him  get  up,"  said  Murden,  who  rather  enjoyed 
the  excitement  of  the  thing,  it  reminded  him  so  much  of 
Australia. 

With  a  bound  he  alighted  on  the  man's  neck,  and  kept 
him  from  moving,  in  spite  of  his  struggles. 

Daisy,  who  had  witnessed  the  whole  scene,  would  have 
uttered  a  shriek  and  called  for  help  if  I  had  not  interfered, 
and  thus  restrained  her. 

"We  mean  you  no  harm,"  I  said,  "but  you  must  not 
make  the  slightest  noise,  or  I  don't  know  what  will  happen." 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  want  ?  "  she  demand 
ed,  in  a  low  tone,  being  warned  by  my  words. 

"  We  are  not  thieves  or  roughs,"  I  said,  "  so  you  neec. 
not  be  afraid." 

"  I'm  not  afraid,"  was  the  answer ;  but  her  trembling  lips 
told  a  different  story,  and  then  she  turned  and  looked  at 
the  prostrate  landlord,  who  was  lying  quite  still,  flat  on  his 
back,  but  mad  all  the  way  through,  as  one  could  see  by 
his  face. 

«  Don't  hurt  him,"  she  said.    «  Do  let  him  up." 
15 


226  THE    GGLD    HTJNTEES   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

"  They  don't  dare  to,  the  bloody  cowards,"  the  amiable 
host  of  the  Horseshoe  said,  in  response  to  the  girl's  appeal. 

"  We  won't  argue  the  point,"  was  Murden's  reply.  "  We 
have  no  chance  to  test  your  courage  or  our  own ;  so  please 
to  give  us  a  little  time  and  much  of  your  patience,  for  we 
shall  need  both." 

The  fellow  responded  by  a  kick,  quite  emphatic. 

"Ah,"  said  Murden,  "you  won't  take  our  advice  and 
keep  still ;  so  we  must  resort  to  force,  and  compel  you  to 
remain  quiet;"  and  then  the  ex-commissioner  put  his  hand 
in  his  pocket  and  produced  some  cords,  without  which 
he  rarely  travelled,  and  proceeded  to  bind  the  hands  of 
the  landlord. 

It  was  a  hard  struggle,  for  the  prisoner  was  a  powerful 
man,  and  knew  how  to  use  his  strength  to  the  best  advan 
tage  ;  but  he  had  to  contend  with  men  who  knew  their 
business,  and  had  managed  just  such  fellows  time  and  time 
again. 

I  will  do  the  landlord  of  the  Horseshoe  the  justice  to 
say  that  he  never  opened  his  mouth  to  call  for  help.  He 
fought  fair,  even  if  he  did  make  several  attempts  to  use 
his  teeth  while  his  wrists  were  being  tied ;  but  when  he 
found  that  success  had  crowned  the  efforts  of  my  friends, 
he  only  hissed  out  several  oaths,  and  damned  their  bloody 
eyes. 

"Swear  away,"  muttered  Murden.  "It  will  do  you 
good,  and  relieve  your  mind.  Don't  let  the  lady's  pres 
ence  prevent  you  from  giving  vent  to  your  thoughts ; " 
and  then  the  ex-commissioner  and  Fred  wound  a  few 
cords  around  the  fellow's  legs,  and  secured  them  so  .hat 
he  could  not  use  them,  even  if  he  tried  ever  so  hard. 

"  Now,  d — n  yer,"  cried  the  landlord,  " jist  put  yer  hands 
m  my  pockets,  and  take  my  money  and  watch,  and  then 
be  off  till  the  police  nab  yer." 

"  We  are  not  robbers,"  Murden  said. 

"Then  what  in  the  devil's  name  are  you?" 

"We  art,  friends  of  a  poor  fellow  whom  you  have  con 
fined  in  this  house." 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE,  227 

" I  suspected  as  much,"  Daisy  said.  "I  thought  I  had 
heard  your  voices  before.  In  spite  of  your  disguises,  I 
knew  you  xwere  not  laborers." 

"Who  is  he?"  growled  the  landlord.    s 

"  The  man  whom  this  girl  picked  up  on  board  of  i 
Bteamer  a  few  days  since." 

"He  ain't  here,"  the  landlord  said. 

44  You  know  that  you  are  not  telling  the  truth." 

"lam." 

"No,  you  are  not.  We  have  come  here  for  the  purpose 
of  finding  our  friend,  and  we  shall  not  leave  the  premises 
without  him." 

"  Then  you'll  have  to  wait  a  long  time,  for  he  ain't  here." 

"Is  this  man  speaking  the  truth?  "  I  asked  Daisy. 

She  looked  a  little  confused  at  the  question.  She  feared 
to  offend  her  employer,  and  yet  did  not  really  want  to  tell 
a  lie. 

"You  know  he  ain't  here,"  the  landlord  said,  in  a  men 
acing  tone,  when  he  saw  that  the  woman  hesitated. 

Daisy  did  not  answer. 

"  He  is  here,"  I  remarked,  "  and  we'll  find  him." 

"  Then  before  we  commence  our  search,  let  us  remove 
this  fellow  from  the  entry  to  the  chamber,  so  if  any  one 
passes,  an  alarm  will  not  be  given,"  Murden  advised. 

We  dragged  the  landlord  into  the  room,  which  we  sup 
posed  to  be  Daisy's.  It  contained  chairs,  a  lounge,  and  a 
work-table ;  but  the  latter  was  destitute  of  work,  for  Daisy 
had  other  things  to  think  of. 

We  deposited  the  body  of  the  landlord  on  the  floor, 
and  then  Murden  sat  down  to  guard  it;  and,  to  prevent 
any  unnecessary  noise  or  confusion,  our  friend  displayed  a 
revolver  *  the  wondering  eyes  of  the  landlord. 

"  We  won't  talk  much,"  Murden  said,  as  he  showed 
his  pistol,  "because  all  conversation  is  unnecessary;  but 
if  you  have  a  remark  that  you  wish  to  address  to  me,  now 
is  your  time." 

"Do  you  want  1 1  murder  me?"  asked  the  landlord. 

**  J^Qt  unless  you  nake  a  noise  j  then  no  one  knows  whal 


228        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

may  happen.  Keep  quiet,  and  we  shall  be  good  friends,  1 
have  no  doubt." 

The  landlord  uttered  subdued  oaths,  and  then  ground 
his  teeth  in  his  rage  ;  but  paying  no  attention  to  him,  Fred 
and  I  turned  our  attention  to  Miss  Daisy,  who  had  sat 
down  in  a  chair  and  waited  for  our  movements. 

tt  Now,  young  lady,"  Fred  said,  in  a  kind  tone,  u  tell  us 
where  our  friend  is  confined.  You  must  know  that  we 
want  to  see  him,  and  that  it  will  be  unprofitable  to  keep 
him  any  longer.  You  have  made  all  that  you  can  out  of 
him.  Throw  your  charms  around  some  other  man,  and 
release  our  friend." 

She  did  not  answer  us,  but  looked  at  the  landlord  for 
advice.  We  stepped  between  them  so  that  their  eyes 
could  not  meet,  and  once  more  appealed  to  Daisy.  For  a 
few  minutes  she  was  silent,  as  though  thinking  of  the  whole 
proposition ;  but  at  last  she  raised  her  eyes,  dark  blue,  and 
full  of  expression,  and  then  pointed  to  a  curtain  that  hung 
against  the  wall,  while  at  the  same  time  she  made  a  sign 
that  showed  she  did  not  desire  to  let  the  landlord  know 
that  she  gave  the  information. 

We  intimated  to  her  that  we  understood  her,  and  would 
be  cnreful,  so  as  not  to  involve  her  in  trouble,  and  then  we 
commenced  searching  for  a  door  that  would  lead  us  to 
another  apartment. 

"  You  had  better  tell  where  our  friend  is,"  Fred  said,  so 
as  to  mislead  our  prisoner,  who  was  still  lying  on  the  floor, 
bound  hand  and  foot,  but  swearing  in  a  subdued  tone  for 
his  own  benefit  and  relief.  "  We  are  certain  to  find  him," 
Fred  continued,  "  and  if  you  can  help  us  it  will  be  all  the 
tetter  for  us  and  you." 

"  How  so?"  demanded  the  bully,  raising  his  head. 

"  Why,  we  might  have  rewarded  the  young  woman  for 
all  of  her  trouble  in  the  care  of  our  friend." 

"  How  much  would  you  be  willing  to  give  ?  "  asked  the 
bully,  in  a  tone  that  was  a  little  more  eager  than  any  that 
he  had  yet  used. 

We  did  not  answer  him,  for  just  at  that  moment  Mur« 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  229 

den  pulled  aside  the  curtain,  thinking  that  we  had  wasted 
time  enough,  and  there  we  saw  a  door,  with  a  key  in  the 
lock. 

The  landlord  uttered  several  malignant  curses,  and  at 
tempted  to  kick  at  us,  but  did  not  succeed.  He  saw  that 
we  were  on  the  point  of  a  discovery. 

We  tried  the  door,  but  it  was  locked.  We  turned  tho 
key,  and  entered  a  small  apartment  containing  two  chairs 
and  a  bed.  A  candle  was  burning  at  the  head  of  the  bed. 
It  was  standing  on  a  table,  and  threw  enough  light  over 
the  room  to  show  us  the  form  of  a  man  reposing  on  the 
outside  of  the  bed,  with  all  of  his  clothes  on,  just  as  though 
he  had  thrown  himself  down  for  the  purpose  of  taking 
a  nap. 

I  rushed  forward  and  raised  the  light,  and- looked  at  the 
features  of  the  man  on  the  bed.  It  was  the  one  we  sought. 
It  was  Hopeful,  and  in  a  deep  sleep. 

I  was  about  to  lay  a  hand  on  his  shoulder  and  awaken 
my  friend,  when  Daisy  laid  her  hand  on  mine  and  re 
strained  me. 

"  Don't  be  rude  with  him,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone,  and 
with  more  appearance  of  sympathy  than  I  had  given  her 
credit  for.  "  He  has  suffered  much  in  his  mind  the  past 
few  days,  and  has  had  but  little  sleep.  Please  let  mo 
awaken  him.  He  will  not  be  so  much  surprised." 

We  drew  back  from  the  bedside,  and  told  her  to  do  aa 
she  pleased. 

"  He  has  felt  as  though  he  was  doing  wrong  all  along, 
and  at  times  has  been  violent;  but  I  always  managed  to 
;ring  him  to  his  senses,  and  then  he  has  told  me  that  he 
.oved  me  more  than  ever." 

The  poor  girl  blushed  when  she  made  the  confession,  as 
though  she  was  revealing  the  great  secret  of  her  life,  in 
stead  of  an  acknowledgment  of  guilt. 

"  Perhaps,"  she  said,  as  she  was  about  to  lay  one  of  her 
light  hands  on  the  sleeper's  shoulders,  "you  would  not 
object  to  wipe  your  faces  of  the  paint  which  they  contain* 


230        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

Looks  like  yours  might  startle  him  when  he  first  opens 
his  eyes.  You  wil]  find  water  in  the  other  room." 

We  thought  the  advice  quite  sensible,  and  so  retired  to 
remove  some  of  the  paint.  It  was  lucky  that  the  girl  gave 
us  the  hint  to  do  so,  for  we  found  the  landlord  had  man 
aged  to  loose  one  of  the  bands  that  confined  his  arms,  and 
in  ten  minutes  more  he  would  have  been  free,  and  raised 
an  alarm  that  would  have  done  us  no  good. 

"  Just  in  time,"  Murden  said,  as  he  once  more  secured 
the  bully's  limbs.  "  I  didn't  think  that  you  could  start  my 
knots ;  but  it  seems  that  you  have.  Now  I'll  do  better ; " 
and  after  our  man  was  firmly  secured,  we  wiped  the  paint 
from  our  faces. 

The  landlord  watched  the  operation  with  much  interest, 
and  when  we  had  concluded  our  toilets,  he  exclaimed, — 

"  D — n  me  if  they  ain't  swells,  arter  all." 

He  had  all  along  supposed  us  to  be  workmen  hired  to 
do  a  certain  job,  for  which  we  were  to  receive  large  pay. 

We  could  but  smile  at  the  man's  exclamation,  and  then 
turned  our  attention  to  the  scene  that  was  going  on  in  the 
chamber. 

We  saw  the  girl  put  her  hand  on  Hopeful's  shoulder,  and 
gently  shake  him ;  but  he  did  not  wake  very  readily,  for 
the  reason  that  he  must  have  drank  considerable  liquor 
before  he  went  to  sleep,  as  we  saw  a  half-emptied  bottle  of 
gin  at  the  head  of  his  bed  on  the  table. 

Repeated  shakings,  however,  at  length  aroused  him,  and 
he  sat  up  in  bed  and  stared  rather  wildly  at  Daisy. 

"Ah,  it's  you  —  is  it,  Daisy?"  he  asked,  in  a  low  tone, 
that  was  really  tender.  "  I've  been  dreamin',  I  s'pose,  and 
it  wan't  no  pleasant  dream,  either." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  that,  Hopeful,"  she  said,  and  smoothed 
his  hair  as  tenderly  as  though  she  had  known  and  love<* 
him  for  years. 

"Have  my  friends  sent  me  some  more  money?"  asked 
Hez,  as  he  attempted  to  draw  the  girl  tc  wards  him,  so  that 
he  could  kiss  her  lips. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  23* 

She  resisted  him  and  held  back,  because  she  knew  that 
we  were  near,  and  watching  every  motion  » 

"  We  have  heard  from  them ;  but  they  won't  send  the 
money,"  was  her  answer. 

"Then  I'll  go  for  it,"  Hez  cried,  in  an  impatient  and 
angry  tone.  "My  money  is  my  own,  and  I'll  do  as  I 
please  with  it,  now  you  see  if  I  don't.  They  shan't  keep 
money  for  me,  'less  they  can  shell  out  when  I  wants  it. 
You  has  been  a  good  girl  to  me,  Daisy,  and  shall  have 
jist  what  you  wants." 

He  made  an  attempt  to  get  off  the  bed,  but  she  soothed 
him,  and  at  last  got  him  more  calm.  We  still  looked  on, 
in  pity  for  the  fellow,  and  at  no  loss  to  account  for  his 
weak,  irritable  condition ;  for  it  was  evident  that  he  had 
been  drugged  with  liquor  and  medicine,  for  the  purpose  of 
affecting  his  mind. 

"  You  must  recollect  that  your  friends  have  known  you 
for  a  long  time,  much  longer  than  I,  and  that  they  would 
do  better  by  you  than  I,  or  my  friends,"  the  girl  said,  with 
just  a  touch  of  sentiment  in  her  voice. 

"I  deny  it,"  cried  Hopeful,  in  an  excited  tone.  "1 
wouldn't  give  you  for  a  dozen  friends.  I  wouldn't  give 
you  for  all  the  friends  in  the  world." 

"Do  you  mean  that,  Hopeful?"  I  asked,  and  then 
entered  his  room,  and  stood  by  the  side  of  his  bed. 

The  wretched  man  uttered  a  loud,  despairing  cry,  and 
then  buried  his  head  in  the  bed-clothes  as,  though  ashamed 
to  look  me  in  the  face,  while  the  girl  glanced  at  me  in  a 
reproachful  manner,  as  though  I  had  come  in  upon  them 
too  sudden. 


232        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

A.  WKETCHED  LOVEK.  —  A  LITTLE  PRUDENCE  AND  KEA- 
SON.  —  A  RESOLUTION.  —  AN  ESCAPE.  —  A  GAtfG  O* 
BOUGHS,  —  THE  OFFICERS  OF  THE  POLICE. 

HOPEFUL  had  buried  his  head  in  the  bed-clothes  as  soon 
as  he  heard  the  sound  of  my  voice.  It  showed  that  he 
felt  a  little  ashamed  of  his  conduct,  and  from  it  I  argued 
a  favorable  response  to  our  mission  ;  for  no  one  better 
than  myself  knew  Hez's  obstinacy  when  a  handsome  face 
had  crossed  his  path,  and  obstructed  his  vision  and  warped 
his  judgment.  I  had  seen  several  instances  of  his  perver 
sity  while  with  him  in  Australia,  and  it  had  indeed  re 
quired  all  of  my  tact  to  keep  him  faithful  to  the  vows 
which  he  had  uttered  to  his  New  Hampshire  fiancee. 

To  be  sure,  now  he  was  a  free  man,  a  widower,  and  at 
liberty  to  marry  whom  he  pleased ;  but  it  did  not  gviit  me 
that  he  should  throw  himself  into  the  arms  of  the  first  artful 
woman  whom  he  met,  and  whose  face  was  handsome,  but 
whose  principles  were  not  such  as  were  commended  in 
respectable  society.  I  knew  that  I  should  have  some 
work  to  perform,  but  not  such  serious  business  as  really 
occurred. 

"  Hopeful,"  I  said,  laying  one  hand  on  his  shoulder,  and 
attempting  to  remove  the  clothes  from  his  head,  "  look  at 
me  one  moment ;  I  want  to  see  your  face." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  see  yourn,"  was  the  reply.  "  Go 
way  and  leave  me  —  will  yer  ?  " 

"No;  I  shall  do  no  such  thing.  When  I  go,  you  must 
go  with  us.  Come,  don't  be  a  baby ;  look  up.  Here's  Fred 
and  Murden,  and  they  want  to  see  you,  as  well  as  myself." 

"Go  away  from  me,  gol  darn  yer,"  was  the  reply.  "I'm 
content  where  I  am,  and  ain't  goin'  to  leave  here  unless 
the  gal  goes  too;  now  I  tell  yer  that." 

Daisy,  whose  hea^t  I  began  to  think  was  not  as  bad 


as  her  character,  showed  some  signs  of  distress  on  her 
pretty  face. 

"  Don't  talk  like  that,  Hopeful,"  she  said.  "  I  can  never 
go  with  you  or  leave  this  place.  It  is  better  as  your 
friends  suggest.  Go  with  them,  and  in  a  few  days  you 
will  forget  me." 

"No,  I  shan't,  either,"  roared  Hopeful,  in  his  anger  anc' 
eagerness  throwing  the  clothes  from  his  head  and  sitting 
up.  "  I  tell  yer  now,  as  I  told  yer  a  dozen  times  afore,  that 
I  won't  leave  yer,  and  no  one  shall  make  me.  I'll  stick  to 
yer  as  long  as  ye'll  stick  to  me ;  and  now  yer  know  what  I 
mean,  and  it's  no  use  for  yer  to  talk  any  more.  Either 
give  me  my  money,  or  else  let  Daisy  go  with  us." 

"Neither  proposition  will  be  accepted,"  I  said,  in  a  tone 
that  he  understood  at  once  ;  although  I  must  confess  that 
when  I  looked  at  the  girl's  sweet,  fresh  face,  I  saw  much 
to  apologize  for  in  Hez's  obstinacy,  and  so  was  inclined  to 
excuse  his  temper  and  impetuous  ways,  for,  perhaps,  had  I 
been  situated  as  he  was,  I  might  have  done  the  same  thing. 
I  hope  that  I  should  not ;  but  I  fear  my  nature  is  not  made 
of  cast-iron. 

"  I  tell  yer  that  I  shall  remain  here,"  Hez  said,  with  all 
the  firmness  and  sullenness  he  could  command. 

"  Without  money  you  would  not  be  allowed  to  remain 
a  week,"  I  remarked,  and  appealed  to  the  girl  for  confirma 
tion  of  my  words. 

"  It  ain't  so,"  he  muttered.  "  The  gal  donrt  care  for  my 
money." 

"  But  if  she  does  not,  those  who  employ  her  are  not 
quite  so  disinterested.     Let  him  understand  this,  Daisy." 
Hopeful  looked  at  the  girl  with  more  eagerness  than  I 
had  ever  seen  on  his  face. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  said,  "  is  it  me  or  my  money  what  you 
care  for?" 

She  did  not  answer  him,  but  looked  a  little  distressed, 
&s  though  surprised  at  the  turn  which  affairs  had  taken. 
"  Tell  me  yer  opinion,"  Hez  growled. 
"  I'm  but  a  poor  wretch,  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  those 


234  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN    BUY  OPE,    OB 

who  bind  me  to  their  will.  I  was  told  to  attract  you,  to 
fascinate  you,  and  I  did." 

"But  not  for  my  money,"  cried  Hez,  with  a  piteous  look 
on  his  face,  that  was  enough  to  melt  the  heart  of  any  one 
not  lost  to  all  feeling. 

For  one  moment  did  the  girl  hesitate,  as  though  reluc 
tant  to  give  more  pain.  Fred  encouraged  her  with  a  look, 
and  then  she  spoke  out :  — 

"  If  you  had  been  destitute  of  money,  I  should  not  have 
attracted  you  by  my  arts,  for  I  preferred  some  other  person 
on  the  steamer." 

"  But  you  have  said  that  you  loved  me,"  murmured  Hez, 
as  his  head  sank,  and  the  light  left  his  face. 

She  did  not  answer  him,  but  showed  by  her  sweet  face 
the  pain  that  she  felt  at  being  reminded  of  her  great  sins. 

"  Didn't  you  lead  me  to  think  that  you  loved  me  ? "  re 
peated  Hopeful,  once  more  looking  up,  but  with  eyes  all 
bloodshot,  showing  the  struggle  that  had  taken  place  in 
his  mind. 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  was  the  candid  answer. 

"  And  didn't  you  say  that  if  I  had  money  enough  with 
me,  you  would  go  jist  where  I  wanted  yer  to  go?" 

"Yes;  I  remember  to  have  told  you  so." 

"And  what  did  yer  do  it  for  unless  you  meant  it?" 
Hopeful  demanded,  in  an  indignant  tone. 

She  was  silent,  and  once  more  looked  the  real  distress 
that  she  felt. 

"Answer  me,  Daisy.  By  some  of  the  love  that  I  have 
told  you  I  felt  for  you,  answer  me,"  pleaded  Hez,  in  tones 
BO  earnest  that  the  girl  looked  more  and  more  distressed, 
but  replied,  — 

"  You  have  been  here  three  days,  and  in  that  time  you 
must  have  noticed  that  I  was  selfish  and  wicked." 

"  No,  no,"  came  from  our  friend,  in  gasps. 

"I  was  told  to  make  you  send  for  money,"  she  continued. 
u  You  did  so.  I  was  told  to  ask  you  for  it  when  it  came. 
I  did  ask,  and  you  gave  me  the  ten  pounds.  The  iext 
day  I  told  you  to  send  for  more  money,  and  if  you  had 


THE   DEAB^LLIVE.  '  -  235 

remained  here  a  month,  the  demands  for  gold  would  have 
been  just  as  fierce  as  ever,  until  the  last  cent  of  your  for 
tune  was  gone.  Does  love  prompt  a  woman  to  act  like 
that  to  a  person  whom  she  likes  ? " 

There  was  no  answer  from  Hez.  He  was  suffering  too 
much  to  speak.  Fred  nodded  his  approval  to  the  frank- 
epoken  girl,  and  thus  encouraged,  she  continued:  — 

"You  asked  me  for  love.  I  had  none  to  give,  but  much 
to  sell,  and  I  was  compelled  to  make  the  best  bargain  that 
I  could  for  myself  and  those  who  employed  me  to  do  the 
work  that  I  have  done  for  the  past  three  years." 

"  How  could  you  deceive  me  in  this  way  ?  "  asked  Hez, 
with  more  firmness  than  he  had  yet  manifested. 

"  Because  you  were  wilfully  blind,  and  would  not  see 
that  I  had  a  part  to  play.  Come,  let  us  separate  and  be 
friends.  Go  with  those  who  have  known  you  longest,  and 
in  a  few  days  you  will  forget  me." 

"  Never !  "  muttered  Hopeful,  and  once  more  threatened 
to  cover  his  eyes  with  his  hands,  but  thought  better  of  it, 
and  conquered  his  weakness  as  well  as  he  was  able. 

The  girl  smiled,  as  though  she  had  heard  just  such 
words  before ;  and  I  had  no  doubt  but  that  she  had,  for  she 
was  one  of  that  kind  who  would  have  made  a  lasting  im 
pression  on  some  men,  had  she  been  as  virtuous  as  she 
was  fair. 

"  There  ain't  much  use  in  snivelling  arter  that,"  Hopeful 
said,  as  he  got  off  the  bed,  and  began  to  adjust  his  necktie. 
"  I  s'pose  I  may  as  well  go  now  as  to  wait." 

His  voice  choked  a  little  as  he  spoke,  and  then,  when 
he  turned,  and  had  a  fair  look  at  the  girl's  face,  he  again 
broke  down. 

"  Daisy,"  he  said,  "  if  you  will  jist  say  the  word  I'll 
marry  yer,  and  then  let  me  see  the  man  what  will  dare  to 
look  at  yer  exceptin'  with  respect,  as  my  wife.  I  don't 
care  what  friends  say  or  do,  if  you  will  stick  to  me." 

"  It  cannot  be,"  was  the  answer,  kind  but  quite  firm,  as 
though  she  meant  what  *  Ae  said.  "  I  am  not  a  suitable 
person  to  be  your  wife.  Do  not  mention  such  a  subject 


1:36  THB    GOLD    ntHfTTERS   IN          ROPE,   OR 

again,  for  if  I  consented  it  would  cnly  make  us  both  mis* 
erable." 

Again  Fred  thanked  the  young  woman,  with  a  look, 
for  her  noble  conduct.  It  was  better  than  we  could  have 
expected  under  all  the  circumstances. 

"  It  ain't  no  use  of  my  stoppin'  here  any  longer,"  Hope 
ful  said,  in  a  hoarse  voice.  "  Let's  be  off  as  soon  as  we 
can.  I'm  deceived  in  that  woman." 

She  did  not  reply,  or  look  the  pain  she  felt. 

u  I'll  never  believe  in  a  woman  again,  you  see  if  I  do," 
Hopeful  continued,  as  he  hurried  on  his  coat.  "  From  this 
time  I  renounce  the  whole  of 'em." 

Murden  and  I  exchanged  looks.  We  had  heard  the 
same  kind  of  expressions  several  times,  so  did  not  tremble 
for  the  desolation  that  was  about  to  fall  upon  the  whole 
of  womankind,  in  case  Hez  adhered  to  his  word. 

We  left  the  bed-chamber  for  the  sitting-room,  and 
glanced  towards  the  spot  where  the  landlord  had  been 
reposing,  bound  with  cords  which  were  capable  of  stand 
ing  a  severe  test.  To  our  surprise  we  did  not  see  our 
prisoner,  and  a  slight  examination  showed  us  that  he  had 
managed  to  free  his  limbs  while  we  were  in  consultation 
with  Hopeful,  and  so  escaped  without  our  noticing  the  fact. 

"  The  cuss  has  gone  for  a  gang  of  roughs  to  clean  us 
out,"  said  Murden.  "  Shall  we  make  a  break  for  the  lower 
part  of  the  house,  or  stand  here  and  endure  a  siege?  " 

"  There  may  be  time  to  escape,"  Fred  cried.  "  Let  ua 
make  the  attempt,  and  so  save  the  trouble  of  a  row  and 
a  severe  fight." 

We  opened  the  door  and  stepped  into  the  entry ;  but 
we  were  too  late,  for  we  could  hear  the  tramping  of  feet, 
as  a  crowd  of  men  were  hastening  along  the  lower  pas 
sage-way. 

"They  are  coming,"  we  muttered  to  each  other,  and 
then  thought  how  we  should  defend  ourselves,  for  we 
knew  that  we  could  hope  for  little  mercy  at  the  hands  of 
the  infuriated  landlord. 

We  returned  to  the  sitting-room  and  locked  the  door, 


T1IE   DEAD   ALIVE.  237 

Daisy  still  being  with  us.  In  fact,  she  had  not  tak^n  ad« 
vantage  of  the  confusion  to  escape,  as  we  supposed  she 
would,  and  when  we  had  locked  the  door,  to  stop  the  first 
wild  rush  of  the  roughs,  Fred  had  offered  to  let  her  pass 
out  and  join  her  friends  if  she  desired  to;  but  she  said  that 
she  would  remain  with  us  until  the  disturbance  was  over, 
and  expressed  a  hope  that  she  might  be  the  means  of 
obtaining  honorable  terms  for  us,  so  that  we  could  march 
out  of  the  garrison  with  all  the  honors  of  war. 

Hopeful  now  threw  off  his  fit  of  depression  and  acted 
like  a  man.  He  could  not  quite  forget  his  late  sufferings, 
and  every  time  his  eyes  fell  upon  Daisy's  face,  he  would 
utter  a  deep  sigh,  and  then  turn  away  from  a  sight  that  so 
powerfully  affected  him. 

"  Let  'em  come  on,"  Hez  said,  in  allusion  to  the  roughs, 
who  were  now  at  the  door.  "  I'll  be  gol  darned  if  we 
don't  serve  'em  an  Australian  trick  afore  they  is  through 
with  us ;  now  you  see  if  we  don't." 

"Bravo,  Hez,"  cried  Fred,  slapping  the  son  of  New 
Hampshire  on  his  back.  "  I  knew  you  was  made  of  the 
right  kind  of  stuff,  and  would  show  yodr  grit  when  the 
time  came." 

At  this  moment  the  landlord  of  the  Horseshoe  and  his 
allies  gained  the  door,  and  one  of  them  pounded  on  it. 

tt  Open,"  said  the  man  whom  we  had  knocked  down  and 
made  a  prisoner.  "  Open  this  door,  or  the  wusser  for  you, 
now  I  tell  yer." 

We  returned  no  answer. 

"Do  yer  hear  me?"  demanded  the  landlord,  with  a 
kick  at  the  door  that  threatened  to  take  it  from  its  hinges, 

"  We  hear  you,"  was  our  answer. 

"  Then  let  us  in,"  the  landlord  said,  and  consigned  our 
eyes  to  a  very  warm  place. 

"We  don't  desire  your  company,"  Fred  replied.  "We 
have  had  enough  of  it  to  last  for  a  lifetime." 

The  landlord  uttered  some  frightful  curses,  and  once 
more  kicked  at  the  door  as  though  determined  to  break 
cUrough  without  the  least  unnecessary  delay. 


238        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

We  saw  that  the  roughs  were  bound  to  come  through, 
at  all  hazards,  and  we  had  no  authority  to  stop  them,  for 
we  wore  but  trespassing  on  the  premises ;  but  Murden, 
who  knew  something  of  the  law,  took  a  different  view  of 
the  matter,  and  turning  to  Hez,  asked,  — 

"  Did  you  hire  this  room  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

"  For  any  length  of  time  ?  " 

"  Til/  I  got  through  with  it," 

"  And  what  were  you  to  pay  a  week,  as  rent  ?  " 

"Five  pounds,  I  guess.  I  know  I  promised  to  give 
jist  what  was  axed :  didn't  I,  Daisy?" 

The  girl  acknowledged  that  he  was  right,  but  she  wag 
too  frightened  to  do  more. 

"  Then  you  have  not  given  notice  that  you  desired  to 
leave  the  apartments  ?  "  Murden  continued. 

"  Of  course  I  haven't.  How  could  I  do  so,  when  I 
haven't  sot  eyes  on  the  landlord  for  a  day  or  two?" 

"  Then  we  are  not  trespassing,"  the  ex-comrnissioner 
paid.  "As  invited  guests,  we  have  a  just  right  to  remain 
here,  and  we  will  do  so  in  spite  of  the  roughs  outside." 

"  By  the  laws  of  England,  this  room  is  our  friend's  castle," 
Fred  remarked,  "  and  he  has  a  perfect  right  to  defend  him 
self  from  any  assault." 

For  a  moment  or  two  the  fellows  at  the  door  had  re 
mained  silent,  in  a  sort  of  consultation,  as  to  the  best 
course  tc  pursue,  for,  although  they  knew  we  were  inclined 
to  fight,  they  did  not  think  we  were  armed  with  revolvers 
or  other  deadly  weapons. 

The  consultation  was  soon  over,  however,  and  then  came 
another  rude  summons  to  surrender. 

"  Hnlloo,  in  there,"  some  one  said,  with  an  emphatic  kick 
on  the  door. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?  "   was  our  response. 

"  Let  us  in,  or  the  worse  for  you." 

"Don't  you  mean  that  it  would  be  the  worse  for  us  if  we 
let  you  in  ?  "  asked  Fred,  with  a  mocking  laugh. 

The  roughs  uttered  some  savage  curses,  and  then  kicked 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  239 

at  the  door  until  it  threatened  to  fly  from  its  hinges  under 
the  fierce  assault. 

"  What  is  the  good  of  all  that  noise  ?  "  at  length  Fred 
asked.  "Even  if  you  come  in,  the  tenant  will  warn  you 
to  leave  as  soon  as  you  cross  the  threshold." 

"Will  he?  "asked  the  landlord.  "We  shan't  wait  for 
that,  for  we  shall  throw  you  out  of  the  window." 

•'  It  might  hurt  us,"  was  the  reply. 

w  For  God's  sake,  gentlemen ! "  cried  Daisy,  now  thor 
oughly  alarmed,  "don't  aggravate  them,  for  if  you  do  they 
will  murder  yov  before  you  can  leave  the  house.  You 
don't  know  what  savage  men  they  are." 

"We  can  imagine,"  was  the  answer;  and  then  we  knew 
that  the  moment  had  arrived  for  action. 

We  drew  our  revolvers,  and  retreated,  into  one  cor 
ner  of  the  room,  so  that  the  roughs  could  not  outflank  us 
without  some  trouble.  We  placed  Daisy  close  to  the  wall, 
so  that  we  could  cover  her,  and  stand  between  her  and 
harm,  and  by  the  time  we  had  completed  our  preparations 
the  door  was  torn  from  its  hinges,  and  in  rushed  eight  des» 
perate  fellows,  inflamed  with  liquor,  and  the  thought  of  giv^ 
in<r  four  men  an  unmerciful  beating. 

The  scamps  dashed  towards  us,  and  did  not  stop  until 
they  were  within  a  few  feet  of  us.  Then  they  halted 
suddenly,  for  they  saw  something  that  surprised  them  very 
much.  In  fact  they  retreated  a  few  steps,  and  put  their 
hands  to  their  heads,  as  though  to  ward  off  a  blow. 

The  sight  which  was  so  unexpected  to  the  roughs  was 
three  men,  in  a  corner,  with  three  cocked  revolvers,  pointing 
at  the  crowd  that  was  to  thrash  us  without  mercy. 

We  rather  enjoyed  the  discomfiture  of  the  fellows,  it  re 
minded  us  so  much  of  life  in  Australia,  when  certain  bush 
rangers  supposed  that  they  had  us  in  their  power,  and  yet 
found  that  such  was  not  the  case,  we  generally  turning  the 
tables  at  the  most  critical  moment. 

"Look  ahere,"  said  the  landlord  of  the  Golden  Horse 
shoe,  in  a  tone  of  extreme  remonstrance;  "  what  in  the 


240  THE    GOLD    HUNTEES   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

name  of  bloody  thunder  do  yer  mean  by  this  ere  kind  of 
work,  hey  ?  " 

"  You  see  what  we  mean  —  don't  you  ?  "  Fred  asked,  in 
his  most  pleasant,  cool  tones. 

"  No,  I'm  blasted  if  I  do,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  then,  let  us  explain.  We  mean  that  you  have 
no  right  to  enter  our  friend's  room  in  this  manner,  and 
that  if  you  don't  leave  it  we  shall  shoot." 

"  What,  fire  at  us  ?  "  was  the  astonished  question. 

"  At  you,"  was  the  short  response. 

"  Well,  this  is  a  bloody  go,  I  should  think,"  was  the  mut 
tered  exclamation  on  the  part  of  the  crowd.  "You  don't 
mean  it." 

"  You  offer  to  lay  your  hands  on  us,  and  then  you'll  see 
that  we  do,"  was  our  reply ;  and  the  roughs  appeared  to 
be  satisfied  that  we  meant  what  we  said,  for  after  one  or 
two  long  looks  at  us  and  our  revolvers,  they  whispered  to 
each  other,  and  then  quietly  retired  to  the  entry  to  consult 
as  to  the  best  method  of  obtaining  an  advantage  over  us. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone  we  closed  the  door,  but  could 
not  lock  it,  for  the  reason  that  the  gang  had  torn  it  from 
its  hinges  when  they  entered  the  apartment.  We  did  not 
put  it  up,  thinking  that  it  would  keep  the  fellows  out,  but 
for  the  purpose  of  hiding  our  movements  from  the  enemy 

"  Is  there  no  way  by  which  we  can  reach  the  street,  ex 
cept  by  passing  over  the  stairs  ?  "  I  asked  Daisy. 

"  No,"  she  answered.  "  You  can't  drop  from  the  windows, 
for  there  is  a  picket  fence  beneath  them,  placed  there  for 
the  purpose  of  preventing  escape  from  this  room.  It  would 
be  certain  death  to  drop  on  it." 

"  Then  we  must  wait." 

"  And  starve,"  added  Murden  ;  "  for  you  may  be  certain 
that  they  will  cut  off  our  supplies,  and  thus  force  us  into  a 
surrender." 

"Why  not  make  a  rush,  and  give  'em  ginger?"  Hopeful 
sajd. 

"  Because  then  We  should  suffer  at  the  hands  of  the  law, 
and  we  have  had  enough  law  in  Ireland  to  last  us  for 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  241 

gome  time.  No,  that  won't  do,  for  the  reason  that  we  should 
have  to  kill  somebody,  or  else  get  nearly  killed  ourselves. 
Let  us  wait." 

And  we  did  wait,  and  still  we  could  hear  the  roughs  in 
whispered  consultation,  advising  certain  schemes  for  our 
defeat.  At  last  we  caught  the  word  "  police,"  and  then 
we  knew  that  the  landlord  was  about  to  bring  a  posse  of 
officers  into  the  house,  and  thus  see  if  we  could  not  bo 
arrested  on  legal  grounds. 

We  did  not  feel  in  the  least  terrified,  but  waited  until 
the  door  was  pushed  aside,  and  four  stout,  uniformed 
officers  entered  the  room,  followed  by  only  three  of  the 
landlord's  crew. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ANOTHER   SUBPRI8E.  —  A    RETREAT.  —  A    DEMAND. MTJB- 


WHEN  the  police  officers  of  the  commercial  city  of 
Liverpool  entered  the  apartment  where  we  were  drawn 
up  to  receive  them,  they  looked  as  fierce  as  men  should 
look  who  are  intrusted  with  the  safety  of  the  town,  and 
have  desperate  characters  to  deal  with  at  times. 

It  was  evident  to  us  that  they  had  expected  a  fight  of 
some  kind ;  for  they  had  their  staffs  in  their  hands,  and 
seemed  disposed  to  use  them  over  our  heads  at  the  least 
sign  of  provocation  on  our  part. 

A  slight  look  of  disappointment  passed  over  the  stern 
faces  of  the  officers  when  they  saw  that  we  were  appar 
ently  unarmed,  and  not  disposed  to  offer  much  resistance. 
They  glanced  at  the  landlord  of  the  Golden  Horseshoe  for 
an  explanation,  and  he  was  all  ready  to  offer  one  on  the 
impulse  of  the  moment. 

"  Put  the  irons  on  'em,"  shouted  the  man  who  was  most 
16 


242  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EU11OPE,   OB 

interested  in  our  being  locked  up.  "They  is  desperate 
customers,  and  threatened  to  make  holes  in  our  bodies 
Urith  their  pistols.  They  has  'em  in  their  pockets  now, 
and  will  use  'em  agin  yer,  if  you  don't  look  out." 

"Do  ye  give  yerselves  in  custody?"  asked  the  sergeant 
of  the  squad,  stepping  forward  with  a  military  air,  and 
making  a  salute  with  his  club. 

"Let  me  answer  him,"  whispered  Harden.  "I  know 
how  to  deal  with  such  characters  better  than  "you." 

We  had  not  the  slightest  objections  to  his  doing  so. 

"  On  what  charge,"  asked  the  ex-commissioner  of  the 
Australian  mounted  police,  "do  you  arrest  us?" 

The  police  sergeant  actually  laughed  in  Murden's  face, 
after  a  long  and  steady  look  at  our  friend,  in  the  first  place, 
and  then  our  own  persons  in  the  next. 

"  Well,"  the  sergeant  muttered,  as  though  a  little  aston 
ished  at  our  appearance,  "  if  this  ain't  one  of  the  jolliest 
goes  that  I  ever  did  see  in  all  my  life,  then  I  wouldn't  say 
so  —  that's  all." 

Then  he  resumed  his  official  stern  look,  as  he  replied  to 
Hurden's  question. 

"Look  ahere,  gents,"  the  officer  said ;  "I  has  been  in 
formed  by  a  party  what  is  in  this  room  at  the  present  time 
that  you  has  offered  to  kill  some  one." 

"Meaning  me,"  said  the  landlord. 

"Meaning  you,"  said  the  sergeant;  and  then  another 
grin  passed  over  his  face. 

"And  my  friends  what  were  with  me  at  the  time  they 
makes  the  assault  on  me,"  added  the  landlord. 

"  You  and  your  friends,"  said  the  sergeant,  with  more 
gravity. 

"They  threatened  to  kill  us,  and  then  mash  us,"  the 
landlord  added,  for  fear  that  he  had  not  said  enough. 

"  And  it's  a  wonder  to  me  that  they  hadn't  done  as  they 
said  they  would,  'cos  they  look  to  me  like  men  what  would 
keep  their  word  on  all  occasions.  If  they  said  they  would 
mash  yer,  I  don't  see  what  prevented  'em,  unless  you  run 
for  it." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  243 

"  We  did,"  cried  the  landlord,  quite  eagerly.  "When 
they  pointed  their  pistols  at  us,  we  backed  out  into  the 
entry  in  a  hurry." 

"  And  it  was  wise  in  yer  to  do  so,"  said  the  police  ser 
geant.  "Never  stand  afore  a  pistol  when  a  man  means 
shoot.  It's  dangerous  to  do  so." 

"  Perhaps,  if  you  should  hear  our  side  of  the  story,  you 
would  think  we  were  justified  in  our  threats,  and  the  course 
we  took,"  Murden  remarked. 

"Don't  let  'em  stand  there  talkin'  all  night,"  the  land 
lord  said.  "Take  'em  away.  I  makes  a  charge  agin  'em. 
Summons  me  to  prove  it  to-morrow,  and  I'll  do  it." 

"  Don't  let  us  hurry  matters  quite  so  much,"  the  officer 
replied.  "We  must  be  a  little  cautious  how  we  proceeds. 
This  is  a  serious  kind  of  business ;  this  offerin'  to  kill  a 
man  can't  be  put  out  of  sight." 

"Will  you  hear  our  account  of  this  trouble?"  asked 
Murden.  "  I'll  be  quite  brief  in  my  statement." 

"  I  think,"  replied  the  sergeant,  in  a  tone  that  showed 
some  deliberation  of  a  mental  kind,  "  that  we  had  better 
hear  what  you  has  to  say  for  yerself  afore  we  do  much 
more." 

The  landlord  didn't  like  the  turn  of  aflkirs ;  so  he  whis 
pered  to  the  sergeant  long  and  eagerly ;  but  h*e  did  not 
seem  to  change  the  latter's  mind,  for  he  repeated  the  re 
mark  that  it  was  best  on  all  accounts  to  hear  what  was 
6aid  on  both  sides. 

"Now,  then,"  said  the  police  officer,  "let's  open  the 
case  for  the  defendants.  Fire  away." 

Murden  stated  his  case  in  as  few  words  as  possible.  lie 
told  how  we  had  missed  Hopeful  on  landing  at  Liverpool, 
and  how  he  had  been  induced  by  a  girl's  pretty  face  to 
take  up  his  abode  among  strangers,  and  to  send  for  money 
to  pay  the  exorbitant  charges  of  the  landlord.  He  then 
related  how  we  had  taken  the  trouble  to  hunt  up  Hopeful's 
quarters,  in  the  hope  of  rescuing  him  from  his  bad  <;orn- 
pany,  and  inducing  him  to  go  with  us  to  London. 


244  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUKOrE,   OB 

"  And  who  does  you  know  'in  London  what  will  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  yer  yarn  ?  "  asked  the  officer. 

"  Sir  William  Byefield  and  the  Earl  of  Buckland  will 
testify  to  the  truth  of  our  statements  at  any  time,"  was 
Murden's  reply. 

The  landlord  and  his  crew  uttered  several  ironical  laughs 
when  these  names  were  pronounced,  as  though  they  con 
sidered  it  a  good  joke  on  our  part.  The  officers,  with  the 
exception  of  the  sergeant,  joined  in  the  laugh. 

"  Look  ahere,"  said  the  landlord ;  "  it  won't  do  to  utter 
no  swells'  names  here,  'cos  they  won't  go  down  with  us, 
and  we  don't  want  nothin'  to  do  with  'em.  Now  I'm 
a  honest  sort  of  man,  and  minds  my  own  business ;  and 
when  a  cove  comes  here  and  says  that  he  wants  a  room 
and  grub,  and  a  gal  to  keep  him  company,  I  has  no  objec 
tions,  provided  he  does  the  right  thing  by  me.  I  has  no 
cause  to  complain  of  the  man  what  they  calls  Hopeful. 
He  has  paid  me  for  a  week's  lodgings ;  so  I  has  no  charges 
agin  him." 

"  Then  he  had  a  right  to  the  room  for  two  or  three  days 
more  ?  "  asked  the  sergeant. 

"  Yes;  I  don't  deny  that  he  paid  me  for  a  week." 

Then  the  officer  turned  to  Hopeful. 

"  You  call  these  gentlemen,"  he  said,  and  pointed  to  us 
with  an  air  of  respect,  although  we  were  not  dressed  hi 
gentlemen's  habiliments,  "  your  friends  —  do  you  ?  " 

"  In  course,"  was  Hopeful's  reply. 

"  And  you  invited  them  to  remain  in  your  room  —  did 
you  ?  "  the  sergeant  continued. 

"Sartin  I  did.  They  is  the  best  friends  I  has  in  tbe 
world." 

The  police  officer  turned  to  the  landlord  with  a  look  that 
was  not  quite  as  friendly  as  could  be  desired. 

"I  don't  see  how  you  can  bring  a  charge  against  these 
parties,"  he  remarked.  "They  had  a  right  to  be  here 
as  the  guests  of  your  lodger,  and  you  had  no  right  to 
break  down  the  door  when  Mr.  Hopeful  told  you  not  to 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  245 

"  D — n  sich  law  as  that,"  was  the  response.  fc  I  could 
make  better  law  any  time." 

The  roughs  who  were  in  league  with  the  landlord  of  the 
Golden  Horseshoe  reechoed  his  opinion,  and  seemed  dis 
posed  to  punch  the  heads  of  tAe  officers,  and  they  would 
have  done  so  if  they  had  not  feared  the  law. 

"  The  question  is  not  what  you  could  do,  but  what  is 
right,"  said  the  sergeant,  turning  on  the  landlord,  and 
speaking  rather  sharply.  "If  you  don't  like  what  I  sayu, 
jist  go  to  headquarters  and  lay  the  case  afore  'em,  and  seo 
what  they  says ;  that's  all." 

"But  don't  you  see,"  stammered  the  landlord,  "that 
these  men  comes  into  my  place  for  the  purpose  of  robbing 
me,  for  all  I  knows  of." 

"  Pooh !  nonsense ! "  was  the  reply.  "  They  wouldn't  take 
a  penny  of  what  didn't  belong  to  'em." 

"  I  ain't  so  sure  of  that  ere,"  was  the  sullen  response. 

"  But  I  am.    I  knows  'em,  and  has  known  'em  for  years." 

It  was  now  our  turn  to  look  a  little  astonished,  and  to 
glance  at  the  speaker  with  more  attention  than  we  had 
yet  bestowed  on  him. 

His  face  did  not  seem  familiar.  We  did.  not  recollect  to 
have  seen  it  before,  and  yet  it  was  quite  evident  that  the 
man  had  met  us  somewhere  during  our  wanderings  in 
various  parts  of  the  wrorld. 

"Where  have  you  met  us?"  Murden  asked  him,  after  a 
pause,  during  which  we  scrutinized  the  man's  face  with  the 
most  marked  attention. 

"The  sergeant  laughed,  as  he  asked, — 

"Don't  you  recollect  me  ?" 

"No." 

"Well,  sir,  I  don't  know  as  it  is  strange,  arter  all,  that 
}  ou  shouldn't  know  my  face ;  yet  I  once  had  the  honor  of 
ecrvin'  on  the  Melbourne  police,  and  there  I  frequently 
eaw  Mr.  Commissioner  Murden  and  all  the  rest  of  you, 
gents ;  so  you  see  I  is  quite  well  acquainted  with  yer  all, 
and  I  is  happy  to  serve  yer  if  I  can  do  so." 

By  the  end  of  this  long  speech  the  landlord  of  the 


246        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

Golden  Horseshoe  began  to  look  as  though  he  had  made  a 
mistake,  and  he  would  have  retreated  in  company  with  his 
followers  if  Harden  had  not  interfered. 

u  Hold  on,  my  friend,"  he  said.  "  Don't  leave  us  in  such 
a  hurry.  We  have  a  little  business  to  transact  with  you, 
Sergeant,  my  good  fellow,  I  recollect  you  now  as  well  as 
though  you  were  my  own  brother.  You  did  good  service 
in  Melbourne.  When  you  arrested  McCoodle  the  bush 
ranger,  who  was  seeking  to  escape  in  the  disguise  of  a 
sailor,  it  was  the  crowning  event  of  your  life,  and  even  the 
governor  general  spoke  of  the  matter  as  being  an  honor  to 
any  man  in  the  force.  You  see  I  know  you.  Now  do  me 
a  favor,  for  old  times.  Just  step  in  between  the  landlord 
and  the  door,  so  that  the  fellow  cannot  escape  while  I  do 
a  little  business  on  my  own  account." 

The  police  sergeant  blushed  with  pleasure  at  being  com 
plimented  by  so  distinguished  a  person  as  Mr.  Commis 
sioner  Murden.  He  instantly  complied  with  the  request, 
and  thus  cut  off  the  landlord's  retreat. 

"Now,  my  friend,"  said  Murden,  addressing  the  criminal, 
who  was  far  from  pleased  at  the  situation  of  affairs,  "  we 
want  some  of  that  money  which  you  have  swindled  out  of 
Mr.  Hopeful.  He  had  ten  pounds  when  he  entered  the 
house.  He  sent  for  ten  pounds.  You  took  the  money. 
I  want  some  of  it." 

"No,  no,"  muttered  Hopeful.  "Blast  the  money.  I 
don't  want  it." 

"But  I  say  yes.  I  want  some  of  the  money  and  mean 
*o  have  it,"  Murden  continued. 

"  I  won't  touch  a  cent  of  it,"  Hez  growled,  with  a  bluet 
and  a  glance  at  Daisy. 

"I  don't  mean  that  you  shall,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 
"  I  want  some  of  the  money ;  but  when  I  get  it  you  shan't 
handle  it  unless  you  desire  to." 

Hopeful  looked  puzzled,  and  so  did  the  rest  of  us.  We 
did  not  comprehend  our  friend's  meaning,  and  yet  we  knew 
that  he  had  one  of  some  kind  or  other. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence.    The  landlord  looked  a 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  247 

little  irresolute,  as  though  he  did  not  know  whether  it  was 
best  to  surrender  at  once,  or  to  hold  on  to  what  he  had  got 
and  hope  for  more. 

"Daisy,"  said  the  Australian,  "  come  here." 

She  obeved  him,  in  her  usual  modest  and  timid  manner. 

He  tool:  her  hand,  and  she  suffered  him  to  retain  it,  just 
as  though  she  was  the  most  diffident  girl  in  the  city,  and 
the  most  modest  at  the  same  time.  It  was  hard  to  believe 
that  she  was  wholly  vile,  while  looking  at  her,  as  she  stood 
by  the  Australian's  side.  I  was  prepared  for  any  amount 
of  sentiment,  just  then ;  but  Murden  had  a  harder  head, 
and  was  therefore  more  practical  than  myself.  He  was 
enough  to  spoil  the  most  delicate  of  woven  romances. 

"  Daisy,  my  good  girl,"  he  said,  "  how  much  out  of  the 
twenty  pounds  did  that  man,"  pointing  to  the  landlord, 
"  give  you  for  your  part,  in  entrapping  Hopeful  ?  " 

She  hesitated  and  looked  a  little  frightened. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed.  That  man  shan't  hurt  you.  Speak 
the  truth  though  the  heavens  fall.  Tell  me  the  sum  total, 
so  that  I  can  judge  of  his  liberality." 

All  eyes  were  turned  to  the  girl  as  she  looked  down, 
blushed  more  than  ever,  and  replied,  — 

"  He  gives  me  a  pound  a  week." 

"Now,"  said  Murden,  "just  hand  over  ten  pounds.  I 
want  to  use  them." 

"I  don't  want  the  money,"  muttered  Hez.  "Let  the 
scamp  keep  it,  and  much  good  may  it  do  him." 

"Be  quiet,  will  you?"  thundered  the  Australian.  "I'm 
managing  this  case  in  my  own  way,  and  I  will  ha\e  no 
interference." 

Hez  subsided,  although  he  said  that  he  didn't  gee  tfhat 
they  wanted  to  make  such  a  fuss  for  about  a  little  money. 

To  the  Australian's  demand  for  ten  pounds  the  landlord 
turned  a  deaf  ear. 

"No  you  don't,"  he  said.  "No  man  can  rob  me  in  my 
own  house  and  four  police  officers  standin'  lookia'  on. 
I've  got  the  money,  and  I'll  keep  it,  you  see  if  I  don't. 
Strike  me  blind  if  you  can  ride  rough  over  me." 


248        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

"You  will  give  me  the  money,"  said  Murden,  in  his  most 
quio*,  tones.  "I  know  you  will." 

"  And  I  know  that  I  won't.  Who  do  you  think  I  am, 
that  you  can  bully  me?  " 

"  I  think  you  are  one  of  the  most  consummate  scoun 
drels  in  Liverpool,"  our  friend  replied,  still  retaining  hia 
coolness. 

"  You  may  think  so,  but  that  won't  give  you  the  money;3 
was  the  taunting  reply. 

Murden  turned  to  the  police  sergeant,  who  still  blocked 
up  the  door,  and  who  had  remained  a  quiet  listener  to  the 
conversation. 

"  Sergeant,"  he  said,  "  isn't  there  a  city  ordinance  in  force 
in  Liverpool  in  relation  to  keeping  disorderly  houses  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Wouldn't  this  house  come  under  such  an  ordinance?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  if  any  one  would  make  a  complaint,  and  bring 
forward  "witnesses." 

"I  make  the  complaint,"  thundered  the  Australian,  with 
all  of  his  commissioner  fierceness.  "I  give  the  man  in 
charge  for  extortion  and  keeping  a  house  of  vile  repute, 
noisy  and  disorderly." 

"Where  are  your  witnesses?"  sneered  the  landlord,  who 
began  to  look  a  little  alarmed  at  the  way  things  were 
turning. 

"Here  they  are;"  and  Murden  pointed  to  Hez  and 
Daisey. 

"I'll  be  d — d  — "  began  Hopeful;  but  the  Australian 
silenced  him  with  a  look  and  an  oath  of  some  magnitude. 

"  You'll  do  as  I  bid  you,"  Murden  said.  "  There  is  a 
principle  at  stake  that  we  must  not  lose  sight  of.  You 
will  appear  as  a  witness." 

"Well,  if  I  must  —  "  began  Hopeful. 

"  Of  course  you  must.  We  can  have  no  words  on  that 
point." 

"But  the  girl.  She  will  never  dare  to  appear  against 
me,"  the  landlord  said ;  and  he  gave  her  a  threatening  look, 
that  meant  something. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  249 

* 

«  She  will  appear  against  you,  and  do  as  I  -wish  her." 

Daisy  trembled,  and  seemed  undecided  how  to  act. 

"I  dare  not  appear  against  him,"  she  whispered.  "He 
would  murder  me  if  I  did." 

"He  will  do  no  such  thing,"  returned  the  Australian. 
"I  will  see  that  no  one  is  murdered.  If  there's  to  be  any 
killing,  I'll  have  a  hand  in  it." 

"  Will  you  protect  me  if  I  speak  only  the  truth  ?  "  asked 
Daisy. 

"Yes,  with  our  lives  and  fortunes,"  returned  the  stout 
hearted  Australian. 

"Then  I'll  do  as  you  want  me  to.  I'll  appear  as  a 
witness." 

"Daisy!"  cried  the  landlord,  in  a  tone  that  was  meant 
to  be  threatening. 

"  I  will  do  it ! "  she  cried,  with  more  energy  than  I  ever 
saw  her  exhibit.  "  I  am  tired  of  the  life  that  I  have  led, 
and  would  have  abandoned  it  long  since,  had  I  known 
where  to  go  or  what  to  do.  Here  is  a  chance  to  escape 
from  your  power.  I'll  improve  it,  and  then  leave  the  city 
forever;  and  I  pray  God  that  we  may  never  meet  again." 

"If  we  ever  do — "  muttered  the  landlord,  with  grind 
ing  teeth  and  a  look  on  his  face  that  was  fiend-like. 

"  Come,  come,"  said  Murden,  "  don't  threaten.  We  can 
do  all  the  threatening  that  is  necessary.  Hand  me  ten 
pounds,  and  be  lively  about  it,  for  I  am  in  a  hurry." 

"  I'll  see  you  d — d  first,  and  then  I  won't,"  was  the  sul 
len  reply. 

"  Take  him  to  the  police  station,  sergeant.  We'll  fol 
low  and  make  the  charge  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  officer  laid  a  hand  on  the  landlord's  shoulder,  and 
tVie  touch  seemed  to  melt  the  fellow's  feelings,  for  he  put 
his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  pulled  out  a  roll  of  bills. 

"Here's  yer  money,"  he  said.  "I  hope  it  will  choke 
you,  I  does." 

"Thank  you  for  the  wish.  We  will  risk  it.  Daisy, 
this  belongs  to  you.  Take  the  money,  and  keep  it.  J 


250        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

don't  want  any  thanks.  Now  pack  up  your  dry  goods, 
and  go  with  us." 

"  With  me,"  cried  Hez,  starting  forward. 

"  No,  sir,"  frowned  the  virtuous  ex-commissioner.  "  She 
becomes  no  man's  property.  She  leads  a  new  life  from 
this  time  forth,  and  we  will,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  see 
that  she  does  not  want  for  money  while  striving  to  reform." 

Poor  Daisy.  She  could  hardly  comprehend  Murderi's 
words,  so  great  was  her  agitation  and  surprise. 

For  a  moment  she  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  her 
fair  face  as  colorless  as  a  sheet  of  note  paper;  then  the 
blood  rushed  to  her  cheeks  and  brow,  and  with  a  gasp  she 
fell  forward,  and  would  have  struck  the  floor  with  much 
violence,  if  Fred  had  not  sprung  forward  and  caught  her 
in  his  arms. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

WHAT   TO   DO  WITH   A   FAINTING   GIRL. ROVER   AND   THE 

LANDLORD. MtJRDEN    AND    HIS    PROTEGEE. AN   AWK 
WARD   MEETING. 

THE  surprise  and  expressions  of  sympathy  which  Daisy 
had  heard  were  too  much  for  her.  The  thought  that 
now  she  had  a  chance  to  leave  the  terrible  life  which  she 
BO  much  abhorred  had  come  upon  her  so  suddenly  that 
she  had  fainted  and  fallen  into  Fred's  arms,  and  the  poor 
fellow  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  her,  so  concluded  to 
hold  on  to  her,  and  look  at  us  with  a  most  piteous  expres 
sion  upon  his  face,  as  though  to  deprecate  any  unpleasant 
feeling  on  our  part,  provided  we  were  inclined  to  enter 
tain  it. 

We  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  a  fainting  woman. 
Had  it  been  a  man,  we  should  have  forced  open  his  mouth, 
and  poured  a  glass  of  braiviy  down  his  throat,  shaken  him 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  251 

several  times,  and  then  tokl  him  to  get  up  and  do  better 
in  future;  but  one  can't  be  so  rude  with  a  handsome 
female,  unless  all  patience  is  lost,  in  which  case  man  ia 
capable  of  anything  in  the  shape  of  bear-like  manners. 

However,  as  a  preliminary  step  towards  recovering  her 
senses,  I  offered  to  take  the  girl  into  my  own  arms,  and 
thus  relieve  Fred  of  his  burden,  which  I  feared  distressed 
him.  I  was  willing  to  encounter  the  ridicule,  if  any  was 
offered ;  but  tc  my  surprise  Fred  seemed  willing  to  bear 
the  whole  of  the  burden,  without  the  least  assistance  on 
my  part. 

"You  needn't  trouble  yourself,"  he  said,  as  I  held  G'jrt 
my  arms.  "I  can  take  care  of  her  for  a  few  minutes  with 
out  much  fatigue  on  my  part.  Just  concern  yourself  by 
obtaining  a  little  water  and  wetting  the  girl's  lips.  You 
will  do  more  good  that  way  than  any  other  that  I  know 
of." 

The  water  sprinkled  on  Daisy's  face  did  the  business. 
She  soon  opened  her  eyes  and  looked  at  the  anxious- 
appearing  men  who  surrounded  her. 

"I  am, better,"  she  said,  with  a  sigh,  and  then  —  quite 
properly,  as  1  thought,  and  still  think  —  quickly  extri 
cated  herself  from  Mr.  Fred's  arms.  "It  was  quite  fool 
ish  in  me  to  faint,  I  know ;  but  I  was  so  much  surprised 
at  what  some  one  said,  that  all  consciousness  was  gone  in 
a  moment.  I  hope  I  did  not  dream." 

"Not  a  darned  bit  of  it,"  cried  Hez,  coming  forward. 
"It  is  all  right,  and  if  you  has  the  least  desire  to  begin 
all  anew;  with  a  real  clean  record  and  all  tliat,  I  ain't  the 
man  to  say  ye  shan't,  not  by  a  darned  sight,  now  I  tell 
yer.  I  may  be  a  little  weak  in  the  head,  when  a  pretty 
woman  bothers  me,  but  I  ain't  awfully  wicked  —  now 
am  I?" 

We  told  Hez  that  he  was  one  of  the  best  fellows  in  the 
world,  and  that  we  always  knew  he  had  a  good  heart ;  and 
that  pleased  him  so  much  that  he  was  ready  to  agree  to 
most  anything  we  proposed. 

H  Well,  g  nts,"  aske ""  the  sergeant,  now  speaking  for  the 


252  THE   GOLD   HUN    BBS    IN1   EUEOPE,   OB 

first  time,  "what  is  to  be  done  with  this  ere  cove?"  point- 
ing  to  the  landlord,  who  had  been  standing  in  the  room,  a 
cross  witness  of  all  that  had  taken  place.  "Do  you  want 
to  make  2  charge  against  him?" 

"  No,r  answered  Murden.  "  He  has  refunded  the  money, 
and  now  he  can  go  to  the  devil,  where  he  belongs.  We 
want  no  more  to  do  with  him." 

"One  word  before  I  goes  to  your  relative  what  you 
seems  to  be  on  good  terms  with,"  the  landlord  said,  with 
a  sneer.  "  Will  you  oblige  a  cove  by  telling  him  who 
brnight  you  here?  Did  the  Bantam  show  you  the  way? 
That's  all  I  wants  to  know.  Jist  tell  me  that,  and  I'll  be 
satisfied ;  'cos  ye  see  I'll  mash  him  in  no  time,  you  see  if 
I  don't." 

We  pretended  that  we  did  not  know  whom  he  meant ; 
and  just  at  that  moment  our  noble  old  dog  Rover,  that 
we  had  left  in  our  room  at  the  hotel,  stalked  into  the  apart 
ment,  and  wagged  his  tail  as  though  he  knew  he  should 
discover  us  with  but  little  trouble. 

Of  course  we  were  astonished  to  see  him,  and  wondered 
how  he  had  been  able  to  find  us,  and  how  he  had  escaped 
from  the  hotel.  We  afterwards  learned  that  one  of  the 
servants  had  entered  the  apartment  where  Rover  was  con 
fined,  and  that  the  dog  took  the  opportunity  to  dash  into 
the  street,  and  then  had  tracked  us  to  the  Golden  Horseshoe. 

"  You  want  to  know  how  we  discovered  the  place  where 
our  friend  was  concealed?"  asked  Murden. 

The  landlord  said  that  nothing  would  give  him  more 
pleasure;  and  he  struck  his  fists  together,  as  though  to 
emphasize  his  words,  and  show  what  he  could  do  with 
them  on  the  body  of  an  informer. 

Murden  pointed  to  the  hound,  which  appeared  Lo  be 
quite  at  home  in  the  apartment. 

"The  dog  followed  your  messenger,  and  tracked  him 
like  a  detective,"  he  said. 

"Then  the  dog  may  take  that  for  his  trouble;"  and  be 
fore  we  could  interfere,  the  brutal  landlord  had  raised  one 
of  his  feet,  and  kicked  the  hound  near  his  fore  shoulders. 


THE    DEAD    ALI 7B.  253 

Rover,  although  somcwh.it  surprised  at  such  rough  treat 
ment  from  those  whom  he  looked  upon  as  friends,  did  not 
utter  a  howl  or  a  whimper;  but  no  sooner  did  he  feel  the 
Bcami  ;3  boot  than  his  lamb-like  look  was  exchanged  for 
the  courage  of  a  lion  and  the  ferocity  of  a  tiger.  Up  went 
the  hair  on  his  back  like  bristles,  his  eyes  appeared  like 
balls  of  fire,  his  lips  were  drawn  apart,  showing  long  white 
teeth,  sharp  as  needles;  and  then,  before  we  could  or  caied 
to  interfere,  he  had  launched  himself  full  at  the  neck  of 
the  landlord,  and  bore  him  to  the  floor  as  easily  as  though 
a  child. 

Rover's  motions  were  so  sudden,  so  unexpected,  that 
not  one  of  us  could  raise  a  hand  to  hold  the  dog,  and  thus 
save  the  man's  life,  or  some  severe  punishment ;  but  the 
instant  the  landlord  struck  the  floor,  he  put  his  hands 
around  Rover's  neck,  and  attempted  to  strangle  the  animal, 
or  else  choke  him  from  his  hold  ;  but  he  might  just  as  well 
have  sought  to  destroy  the  life  of  a  Bengal  tiger  famished 
for  the  want  of  food. 

"  Take  him  off,  for  God's  sake ! "  cried  the  landlord, 
when  he  felt  the  hound's  teeth,  and  found  that  he  could 
not  shake  him  off. 

I  made  an  immediate  attempt  to  do  so.  I  spoke  to  the 
hound,  and  called  him  by  name ;  but  the  dog  had  received 
an  insult  and  an  indignity  that  he  could  not  forget  very 
soon ;  £o  I  was  compelled  to  lay  hands  upon  him  and  drag 
bim  from  the  prostrate  body  of  his  foe. 

"  Curse  the  dog,"  cried  the  landlord,  as  he  sat  up  and 
r  ,bbed  his  throat,  which  was  somewhat  lacerated,  but  not 
in  a  dangerous  manner,  owing  to  the  thickness  of  his  neck- 
handkerchief  and  the  collar  of  his  coat. 

"  Don't  swear  at  the  dog,  but  at  your  own  evil  temper, 
which  led  you  to  kick  him,"  I  said.  "  It's  a  wonder  that 
he  did  not  kill  you ;  for  you  deserve  some  punishment  for 
what  you  have  done.  Rover  is  not  to  be  trifled  with,  and 
he  nev^r  forgets  an  injury.  If  he  should  meet  you  a  year 
hence  be  would  show  that  he  has  not  forgotten  you." 

Th<    .andlord  looked  at"  the  hound  with  respectful  fear. 


254  THE    GOLD   HtJXTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OR 

The  dog's  prowess  had  won  some  of  his  esteem,  although 
he  still  rubbed  his  throat  and  muttered  curses  at  the  treat 
ment  which  he  had  received. 

"  I  say,"  he  cried  at  last,  "  you  don't  want  to  sell  the  dog 
—  do  you,  nor  nothin'  ?  " 

"  No  money  that  you  could  offer  would  buy  him,"  was 
my  reply;  and  Rover  seemed  to  understand  my  words, 
for  he  crouched  at  my  feet,  and  showed  his  teeth  to  the 
landlord. 

"  If  you  would  like  to  sell  the  ugly  devil,  I'd  buy  him, 
a  "ad  train  him  to  fight  a  dog  what  I  knows  ofj  and  what  I 
think  can  be  licked.  If  you  didn't  want  to  sell  him,  you 
might  like  to  win  a  pile  of  money  on  him,  and  I  can  put 
you  in  the  way  of  doin'  it  —  I  can." 

We  intimated  that  such  kind  of  business  was  not  in  our 
line,  and  that  we  must  decline  to  lend  ourselves  to  dog- 
fighting;  and  then  we  made  preparations  for  our  departure, 
intending  to  take  Daisy  with  us,  although  none  of  us 
knew  what  were  JVIurden's  plans  concerning  her.  She  was 
willing  to  go  ;  and  the  landlord,  after  his  punishment,  did 
not  make  strong  objections,  but  hinted  that  he  should  re 
ceive  some  compensation  for  loss  of  service  —  an  idea  that 
we  laughed  at. 

"  Now,  sergeant,"  said  Mnrden,  after  Daisy  had  gathered 
up  her  dry  goods  in  a  bundle,  "  you  lead  the  way,  and  we 
will  follow  you  out  of  this  den  and  go  to  our  hotel." 

The  landlord,  still  rubbing  his  throat,  an. I  scowling  at 
the  dog,  did  not  object,  because  he  knew  that  objections 
were  useless.  He  went  with  us  down  stairs,  where  we 
found  quite  a  crowd  of  his  admirers;  but  they  confined 
their  actions  to  chaffing  us  for  taking  away  the  girl.  The 
poor  thing  knew  most  of  them,  and  shrunk  from  their 
coarse  words  as  though  each  one  had  blistered  her  fair  skin 
like  a  hot  iron. 

We  would  have  shielded  her  from  the  billingsgate  slang 
that  was  hurled  at  her  head,  but  could  not,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  the  ruffians  were  numerous,  and  we  should 
have  encountered  much  trouble  had  we  bandied  words 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  255 

with  them,  or  knocked  down  one  or  two  of  the  most 
offensive.  Even  the  presence  of  the  police  could  not  have 
prevented  our  getting  some  hard  blows. 

One  fellow,  more  inclined  to  be  funny  than  the  rest, 
thought  that  it  would  be  a  good  joke  to  pinch  Rover's  tail, 
so  that  the  dog  would  howl  in  anguish;  but  somehow  the 
hound  did  not  howl,  but  the  ruffian  did ;  for  Rover,  stalk 
ing  along  in  sullen  dignity,  after  his  late  bad  treatment, 
turned  on  the  fellow  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  his  jaws 
( -osed  like  a  wolf  trap  on  the  very  hand  that  touched 
his  tail. 

There  was  a  shriek  of  terror,  and  then  a  prolonged 
«(),"  as  the  teeth  met. 

"  You  d — n  fool,"  said  the  landlord,  with  his  hand  still 
up  to  his  throat,  "  didn't  you  know  any  better  than  that?" 

The  fellow  didn't  appear  to  ;  for  he  swore  some  at  the 
dog,  at  us,  and  every  one  near  him.;  but  no  one  appeared 
to  care  for  his  misfortune.  A  crowd  of  English  roughs 
have  but  little  sympathy  for  each  other.  More  unfeeling 
men  the  world  cannot  produce. 

We  left  the  house  as  orderly  as  possible,  and  then  the 
police  sergeant  dismissed  his  companions,  and  offered  to 
accompany  us  to  the  hotel,  which  offer  we  did  not  refuse; 
for  the  officer  had  done  us  good  service,  and  we  desired  to 
reward  him  in  some  way  for  his  kindness  towards  us.  We 
could  not  let  an  old  Australian  companion  leave  us  without 
feeling  glad  that  we  had  met. 

When  we  gained  the  hotel,  we  compelled  the  sergeant  to 
go  to  our  rooms,  while  Murden  ordered  an  apartment  for 
Daisy,  and  sent  her  to  bed,  with  the  assurance  that  her 
new  life,  and  a  better  one,  had  already  commenced. 

We  had  some  supper  brought  to  our  room,  and  then 
made  the  sergeant  sit  down  and  enjoy  himself;  and  when 
he  left  us  that  night,  he  had  weighty  reasons  for  remem 
bering  our  first  visit  to  Liverpool. 

"  Murden,"  I  said,  the  next  morning,  after  we  had  dressed, 
and  while  we  were  waiting  for  breakfast,  "  what  do  you 
mean  to  do  with  that  poor  girl,  Daisy?" 


25(5  THE    SOLD   JTTJXTEES   IN    EUROPE,   OR 

"  I  intend  to  do  well  by  her,"  he  said,  after  a  moment's 
thought. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it.  But  what  do  you  mean  to  do? 
That  is  a  question  that  I  should  like  to  hear  answered  on 
the  girl's  account,  and  more  especially  on  Hopeful's  ac 
count.  You  know  how  he  feels  on  the  subject." 

"Yes." 

"  And  in  all  your  arrangements  you  will  have  an  eye  to 
his  peace  of  mind,  as  well  as  to  Daisy's  comfort  ?  " 

4  Yes,  I  have  thought  of  all  these  things ;  and  now  I'll 
tell  you  what  I  mean  to  do.  A  ship  sails  this  day  for 
Melbourne." 

"Yes." 

"  On  board  that  ship  Miss  Daisy  will  take  passage,  with 
letters  to  some  friends  of  mine,  kind-hearted  ladies,  who 
will  take  care  of  her  until  I  return  and  look  after  her  in 
person." 

"And  you  think  she  will  be  safe  on  board  the  ship?" 

"  Yes ;  for  she  will  be  put  in  charge  of  an  aged  lady  and 
her  husband,  who  have  taken  passage  on  the  vessel." 

"And  how  in  the  devil's  name  did  you  learn  all  this?" 

"This  morning,  while  you  were  sleeping,  I  was  at  the 
docks,  looking  for  just  the  chance  I  have  found.  I  was 
fortunate  to  find  a  ship  that  will  sail  at  high  tide,  which 
will  occur  at  one  o'clock  this  afternoon.  I  was  still  more 
fortunate  in  discovering  that  the  master  of  the  vessel  is  an 
acquaintance  of  mine,  one  whom  I  befriended  at  Melbourne 
three  years  ago,  when  he  was  robbed  of  a  large  sum  of 
money.  I  recovered  his  funds,  and  did  not  charge  him 
anything  for  so  doing.  Ah,  virtue  has  its  own  reward, 
after  all." 

"  True ;  but  I  am  surprised  that  you  had  virtue  enough 
to  refuse  a  liberal  reward." 

"  Don't  joke  on  so  serious  a  subject.  I  did  refuse,  and 
now  I  am  about  to  reap  my  reward  for  such  a  refusal. 
Here  the  captain  turns  up  just  when  I  want  him.  He  is 
overjoyed  to  see  me,  and  swears  that  he  will  fee'/f  everlast* 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  257 

ingly  obliged  if  I  will  ask  a  favor  of  him.  Could  anything 
have  been  more  fortunate?" 

I  acknowledged  that  he  was  in  luck,  but  at  the  same 
time  I  hinted  that  I  had  my  doubts  as  to  the  lady'a 
compliance  with  his  wishes  in  leaving  England  at  such 
short  notice. 

"What? "he  cried.  "Not  want  to  go  to  Australia? 
Not  want  to  leave  this  old  country,  where  every  one  will 
look  at  her  with  scorn  ?  Not  desire  to  see  Melbourne, 
where  she  will  be  respected,  and  find  a  good  rich  hus 
band  in  the  course  of  time,  so  that  she  can  go  to  work 
and  have  a  family,  who  will  in  turn  become  statesmen,  or 
wives  of  statesmen  ?  Why,  what  do  you  think  the  girl  is 
made  of?" 

"You  have  spoken  to  her  about  the  voyage,"  T  hinted. 

"Not  a  word.  I  did  not  think  of  the  project  until  after 
I  had  retired  for  the  night.  She  will  go.  She  must  go. 
I  shall  pay  her  passage,  and  give  her  a  good  outfit  of 
clothes." 

"  Can  her  clothes  be  got  ready  in  so  short  a  time  ? "  I 
asked,  knowing  that  some  women  require  months  of  prep 
aration  for  a  week's  trip  to  a  fashionable  watering-place. 

"  Of  course  they  can.  I  shall  take  her  to  a  ready-made 
furnishing  store,  where  all  kinds  of  garments  are  kept  for 
Bale.  You'll  find  lots  of  such  stores  in  England,  and  quite 
convenient  they  are  to  people  in  a  hurry." 

"Whatever  you  do,"  I  said,  "  recollect  that  our  company 
will  share  the  expense.  I  rather  like  your  project.  If  the 
girl  is  disposed  to  begin  a  good  life,  how  much  better  for 
her  that  she  takes  a  new  country  for  her  future  residence !" 

"Yes,"  cried  the  ex-commissioner,  glowing  with  en 
thusiasm;  "and  such  a  country  as  Australia.  Ah,  who 
wouldn't  go  there  if  able  to  do  so?  What  land  can  be 
compared  to  Victoria?" 

I  did  not  say  that  I  had  seen  better  countries,  where  the 

land  was  richer,  the  climate  more  agreeable,  the  dust  less 

dense,  the  wind  not  quite  so  fierce  and   cutting,  and  the 

rams  not  so  heavy,  and  the  bush  rrore  safe  from  depreda* 

17 


258         THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

tions  and  desperadoes,  because  my  friend  had  a  weakness 
for  the  land  in  which  he  had  lived  and  flourished,  grown 
rich  and  popular.  In  Melbourne  he  was  of  some  impor 
tance.  In  England  he  was  unknown  and  of  no  account. 
We  all  like  to  be  thought  influential,  and  Murden  was  no 
exception  to  the  rule. 

"  If  she  should  kick  in  the  traces,"  said  my  friend,  after 
a  moment's  thought,  "  and  refuse  to  go,  you  must  do  all 
that  you  can  to  help  me  persuade  her  that  it's  her  duty  to 
obey.  You  can  tell  her  what  a  delightful  country  Australia 
is,  and  how  much  women  are  thought  of  there,  and  how 
quick  they  get  good  husbands.  That  will  bring  her  to  her 
senses  sooner  than  anything  else.  Tell  a  girl  that  a  hus 
band  is  at  the  end  of  the  world,  and  you  see  if  she  don't 
start  after  him." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  the  previous  character  of  the  girl 
shall  be  known  to  those  on  board,  or  to  those  who  have 
her  in  charge  ?  " 

"  Am  I  a  fool,  or  a  man  of  sense  ?  Answer  me  that." 
"  A  fool,  if  you  ask  such  questions  of  me." 
"  Well,  then,  don't  you  think  that  I  should  be  in  good 
business  to  advertise  the  history  of  the  poor  girl,  and  so 
set  people  to  pitying  and  patronizing  her,  and  broken-down 
theological  humbugs  holding  her  up  as  an  example  for  all 
fnil  women  to  follow?  Wouldn't  it  be  a  splendid  thing 
for  her  to  land  in  Melbourne,  with  the  reputation  of  having 
been  a  fallen  angel?  No,  sir;  she  shall  go  on  board  of 
that  ship,  if  she  goes  at  all,  as  an  acquaintance  of  mine, 
and  with  no  stain  on  her  character  that  we  shall  mention, 
or  that  she  shall  allude  to,  for  her  own  sake  and  ours.  Sho 
shall  change  her  name,  and  if  any  one  should  recognize 
her,  she  can  set  him  at  defiance,  by  alluding  to  my  stand 
ing  in  the  community,  and  her  own  innocent-looking  face. 
There  is  no  use  in  sending  a  town  crier  around  to  tell  the 
people  that  Daisy  has  reformed.  Better  never  let  it  be 
known  that  such  reformation  was  needed.  She  can  lock 
the  secret  in  her  own  heart,  and  throw  away  the  key." 
"And  wouldn't  you  advise  her  to  find  the  key  when  sho 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  259 

tfediid  *  sbnnce  to  marry  some  good  man  ?  Shouldn  t  she 
trn/ock  fct-r  heart  before  she  changed  her  name?" 

c<  What  good  would  it  do  her  or  him?  " 

"  He  would  then  know  all,  and  could  never  repronch 
her  for  concealing  her  past  life." 

"  And  so  make  both  parties  unhappy  and  suspicious  of 
each  other !  The  man  would  declare  that  he  still  loved 
her,  perhaps,  but  he  would  never,  never  forget  the  blot 
that  had  rested  on  her  name  and  fame,  and  he  would  be 
continually  wishing  that  he  had  thought  twice  before  he 
gave  his  name  to  one  who  had  been  so  unfortunate ;  while 
the  wife,  knowing  that  her  husband  had  lost  some  of  his 
respect  for  her,  would  be  miserable,  and  so  much  unlike 
her  former  self,  that  perhaps  love  would  turn  to  hate.  No; 
keep  your  family  secrets.  What  a  world  this  would  be  if" 
all  was  known  that  is  now  so  carefully  concealed !" 

Just  at  this  moment  the  door  was  opened,  and  in  walked 
Miss  Goldthwaite  and  her  father,  whom  we  supposed  in 
Paris ;  and  just  at  that  time  Miss  Daisy  entered  the  apart 
ment  from  an  adjoining  room,  so  that  the  two  ladies  found 
themselves  face  to  face.  It  was  all  owing  to  the  stupidity 
of  the  waiter,  who  had  shown  Mr.  Goldthwaite  and  daugh 
ter  to  our  parlor  instead  of  the  public  reception-room. 

This  was  not  quite  so  favorable  a  situation  as  an  ardent 
lover,  who  had  never  declared  his  love,  could  have  desired 
when  he  met  his  mistress  for  the  first  time  utter  an  absence 
of  several  days. 


260  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 

AN  EXPLANATION,  AND  ONE  THAT  IS  SATISFACTORY.  — « 
AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  DAISY. HER  CONSENT. AN 
OTHER  SURPRISE. 

OF  course  I  was  delighted,  and  at  the  same  time  sur 
prised,  to  see  Miss  Goldthwaite.  I  should  rather  have  met 
her  under  more  favorable  auspices,  for  she  had  made  a 
decided  impression  upon  me  on  board  the  steamer,  and  I 
had  looked  forward  to  our  meeting  in  Paris  with  much 
pleasure. 

Miss  Goldthwaite  had  stopped  short  when  she  saw 
Daisy  enter  the  room.  The  latter,  poor  child,  had  done 
the  same  when  she  saw  Miss  Goldthwaite,  and  thus  the 
two  girls,  both  handsome  as  pictures,  yet  of  a  different 
style  of  beauty,  —  for  one  was  a  blonde  and  the  other  a 
brunette,  —  stood  staling  at  each  other  with  the  most 
startling  expressions  of  astonishment  on  their  faces,  for 
Miss  Josephine  Goldthwaite  did  not  know  what  to  say  to 
Daisy,  and  the  latter  feared  that  she  had  intruded  where 
she  was  not  wanted  just  at  that  time,  and  so  appeared 
rather  embarrassed,  and  of  course  a  little  guilty. 

Murden  and  I  were  as  much  in  want  of  a  little  presence 
of  mind  as  any  two  men  that  I  know  ofj  and  for  a  minute, 
I  think,  we  did  nothing  but  stare  at  the  ladies,  without 
speaking  a  word.  Then  I  recovered  myself,  and  hastened 
towards  Miss  Josephine,  and  extended  my  hand ;  but  the 
young  lady  did  not  seem  to  notice  it.  She  was  inclined 
to  be  sarcastic,  for  she  said,  — 

"I  am  afraid  that  we  have  intruded  on  your  privacy; 
but  if  we  have,  you  must  blame  the  servant,  not  us." 

"Don't  mention  it,"  I  cried,  in  as  cool  a  tone  as  I  could 
assume,  and  wishing  that  all  of  my  impudence  would  re 
turn.  "  We  are  too  glad  to  see  you  to  find  the  least 
fault.  This  is  our  public  parlor,  and  we  have  nothing  to 
conceal." 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  261 

And  then  I  turned,  and  had  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand 
from  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  while  the  two  girls  btill  stared  at 
each  other  in  a  rather  defiant  manner,  at  least  on  Jose 
phine's  part. 

"I'm  really  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Mr.  Goldthwaite. 
"  We  were  in  London  when  we  saw  an  account  of  your 
troubles  in  Ireland,  and  also  the  news  of  your  leaving 
Dublin  for  Liverpool.  We  thought  that  we  would  run 
down  and  see  you,  and  that  we  could  all  start  for  Paris 
together." 

"  Father,"  said  Miss  Josie,  speaking  quite  slowly,  yet 
most  emphatically,  "  I  think  that  we  have  made  a  mis 
take,  and  we  had  better  return  to  London." 

"  Why,  my  dear  child,  what  reason  —  " 

"  Reason  enough,"  she  answered,  in  an  impetuous  man 
ner.  "  I  wish  to  leave  this  house  without  a  moment's 
delay." 

I  telegraphed  Murden  to  get  Daisy  from  the  room  as 
soon  as  possible.  He  understood  me,  and  made  motions 
for  his  protegee,  to  follow  him,  which  she  did  without  a 
word. 

"It  seems  a  pity  that  you  should  leave  just  after  having 
found  us,"  I  remarked  to  Miss  Josie,  with  all  of  lay  cool 
ness  restored,  now  that  Daisy  was  out  of  sight. 

"  We  shan't  be  missed,  I  think,"  with  an  indignant  toss 
of  her  pretty  head,  and  a  flash  of  her  bright  eyes. 

"  There  is  where  you  wrong  us.  We  should  miss  you 
very  much,  and  if  you  knew  how  often  my  friend  Mr. 
Hopsful  had  spoken  of  you  since  we  parted,  you  would 
feel  proud  of  the  consideration  which  you  have  enjoyed." 

"  Mr.  Hopeful's  consideration  !  "  she  repeated,  with  an 
other  toss  of  her  pretty  head  and  a  little  scorn  in  her 
looks. 

She  was  apparently  a  little  astonished  at  the  tone  of  my 
remarks,  and  evidently  wondered  that  I  dicf  not  mention 
myself  as  being  concerned  in  her  behalf. 

"My  dear,"  said  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  who  saw  that  hia 
child  was  inclined  to  be  angry  at  something,  yet  could 


262       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

not  imagine  the  cause,  "  hadn't  you  better  sit  down  for  a 
moment?" 

"  How  can  you  ask  me  such  a  question  ?  "  the  lady  re 
torted.  "No;  I  prefer  to  keep  my  feet  while  I  remain  in 
this  room." 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  said  the  father,  in  a  perplexed 
tone,  and  then  looked  at  me  for  an  explanation ;  but  I 
was  not  prepared  to  furnish  it  just  at  that  moment.  I  did 
not  want  to  bother  the  young  lady,  but  I  remembered  that 
she  had  laughed  at  me  when  I  landed  at  Queenstown, 
when  I  displayed  a  little  sentiment  on  her  account.  She 
had  taught  me  a  lesson  that  I  was  disposed  to  remember 
for  some  time. 

There  was  a  large,  comfortable-looking  easy-chair  in  the 
apartment.  I  rolled  it  towards  Miss  Josie,  and  then  po 
litely  asked  her  to  be  seated. 

She  hesitated,  and  looked  at  me  with  a  glance  that  was 
intended  to  be  penetrating,  but  I  appeared  unconscious  of 
the  power  of  her  dark  eyes. 

"Answer  me  one  question,"  she  said,  "or  I  won't  sit 
down." 

"  I'll  answer  a  dozen,"  I  replied. 

"Truthfully,  sir?" 

"Truthfully.  I  shall  never  speak  but  the  truth  to  Mis8 
Goldthwaite." 

She  pouted  her  pretty  lips  as  much  as  to  say  that  such 
kind  of  talk  was  man's  talk,  and  hardly  worth  listening  to; 
but  still  she  asked,  — 

"  Who  is  that  handsome  girl  I  saw  but  a  moment  since 
in  this  room?" 

"  That  young  lady,"  I  began ;  but  I  could  not  help 
blushing  a  little,  for  I  was  about  to  tell  a  lie  for  the  pur 
pose  of  making  all  smooth  and  clear  to  Miss  Josie's  under 
standing. 

"  I  want  the  truth,  sir,"  she  said,  as  she  took  the  seat  I 
proffered  her,  and  then  turned  on  me  like  an  empress. 

"And   the   truth    you  shall   certainly  have,"   was   mj 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  263 

answer,  blushing  more  than  ever  at  the  style  of  her  ques 
tioning. 

Now,  I'll  ask  the  reader  how  it  was  possible  for  me 
to  tell  the  whole  truth  under  the  circumstances  ?  Here 
was  a  virtuous  girl  asking  questions  which  she  should 
not  have  asked,  and  expecting  the  truth,  the  whole  truth, 
and  nothing  but  the  truth,  when  the  true  circumstance 
of  the  case  was  the  very  thing  I  desired  to  keep  from 
her  for  Hopeful's  sake.  I  couldn't  make  her  a  confidant, 
just  as  though  she  was  an  old  woman ;  so  the  only  way  for 
me  was  to  mislead  the  young  lady,  and  satisfy  her  with  a 
yarn  that  would  look  plausible. 

"  Well,  sir,  I'm  all  attention,"  Miss  Josie  said,  still  look 
ing  at  me  most  critically. 

"  For  shame,  Josie,"  said  her  father.  "  You  have  no 
right  to  ask  such  questions.  I  pray  that  you  will  desist." 

She  did  not  pay  the  least  attention  to  him,  which  was 
wrong  on  her  part.  Children  should  always  honor  their 
parents  with  respect,  in  preference  to  a  young  man.  It 
sometimes  saves  embarrassment. 

"You  see,  Miss  Goldthwaite,"  I  began,  "the  handsome 
young  lady — " 

She  interrupted  me  with  an  impatient  gesture,  — 

"  Is  she  a  suitable  person  to  be  introduced  to  me  ?  That 
is  what  I  want  to  know." 

Of  course,  Daisy,  under  the  circumstances,  was  not  a 
suitable  person  to  be  introduced  to  Miss  Josie ;  but  it  would 
not  do  tor  me  to  acknowledge  the  same ;  so  I  had  to  talk 
around  the  subject,  and  avoid  a  direct  question. 

"I  am  astonished  that  Miss  Goldthwaite  should  put  to 
me,  of  all  persons  in  the  world,  such  an  interrogation ; " 
and  then  I  walked  to  the  window  and  looked  out  into  the 
busy  vStrs?%  as  though  I  was  a  little  touched  in  my  pride. 

She  followed  me  to  my  retreat  with  her  eyes,  and  then, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  came  towards  me,  and  laid  one  of 
her  little,  white,  gloved  hands  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Have  I  offended  you  by  the  directness  of  my  ques 
tions  ?  "  she  asked.  "  If  so,  forgive  me." 


264  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUEOPE,   OR 

"  You  did  touch  a  sensitive  chord  by  your  interroga« 
tions,"  I  replied,  "for  I  can't  endure  the  thought  that  Misa 
Goldthwaite  should  judge  me  capable  of  a  bad  action;" 
and  so  I  looked  as  grieved  as  I  could,  just  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  her  from  asking  more  questions  regarding 
Daisy. 

"I  didn't  mean  to  offend  you;  so  I  ask  your  pardon;" 
and  then,  after  a  moment's  pause,  she  added,  "but  I  should 
like  to  know  who  she  is ;  and  I  think  you  might  tell  me." 

"  You  think  her  handsome  —  do  you  not?" 

"  Yes ;  if  it  is  any  satisfaction  for  you  to  hear  me  say 
so." 

"It  is  a  great  satisfaction  for  one  lady  to  do  justice  to 
another.  I  have  no  doubt  but  she  would  say  as  much  for 
you  if  her  opinion  was  asked." 

"Thank  you.  Why  not  invite  her  in  to  meet  mo,  and 
then  we  could  compare  notes." 

But  this  was  just  what  I  did  not  desire,  for  if  Miss 
Goldthwaite  should  ever  discover  the  character  of  Miss 
Daisy,  farewell  to  all  of  rny  hopes.  I  know  that  forgive 
ness  would  be  an  impossibility.  Not  that  she  was  a  prude, 
but  she  had  a  certain  amount  of  dignity  which  she  always 
took  good  care  to  maintain. 

"Unfortunately,"  I  said,  after  a  moment's  thought,  to 
collect  my  scattered  senses,  "  the  young  lady  has  but  little 
time  to  spend  in  compliments.  This  very  forenoon  she 
sails  for  Australia." 

"Indeed!"  and  I  thought  Miss  Josie's  face  expressed  a 
slight  sign  of  satisfaction  at  the  news. 

"  O,  yes,"  I  answered,  with  as  much  assurance  as  I  coull 
command,  just  as  though  I  knew  the  matter  was  all  fixed 
and  settled.  "  Mr.  Murdcn  is  a  relative,  or  something  of  the 
kind,  and  has  arranged  that  she  shall  go  to  his  home  in 
charge  of  the  captuiu  of  the  ship.  But  here  is  Mr.  Mur- 
den,  and  he  will  tell  you  all  about  it." 

"Of  what  were  you  speaking?"  asked  the  ex-commis 
sioner,  coming  forward,  after  exchanging  a  few  words  with 
Mr.  Goldthwaite. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  265 

"  Of  your  protegee,  whom  you  are  about  to  send  to  Mel 
bourne.  Miss  Goldthwaite  has  expressed  herself  much 
pleased  with  the  young  lady's  appearance,  and  desires  an 
introduction." 

Here  I  looked  at  Murden  in  a  manner  that  he  instant 
ly  comprehended.  He  saw  what  I  wanted,  and  so  acted 
accordingly. 

"The  young  lady  has  already  left  the  house,"  he  said. 
M  She  has  gone  to  a  furnishing  store  to  select  some  few 
things  which  she  will  need  on  the  voyage.  From  the 
store  she  will  take  a  cab  and  ride  direct  to  the  ship.  If  I 
had  supposed  for  a  moment  that  Miss  Goldthwaite  would 
have  liked  an  introduction,  I  would  have  detained  her  for 
an  hour  or  more,  although  time  is  quite  precious  to  her, 
for  the  ship  sails  at  high  tide." 

I  don't  know  how  much  of  this  Miss  Josie  believed. 
At  any  rate,  she  appeared  to  think  that  all  was  correct, 
and  turned  to  Fred  and  opened  a  lively  conversation  with 
him,  which  gave  Murden  time  to  whisper  to  me,  — 

"  Steal  out  of  the  room  for  a  moment,  if  possible.  I 
want  to  speak  to  you." 

I  managed  to  slip  out  of  the  apartment  with  Murden, 
and  as  soon  as  we  were  in  the  corridor,  my  companion 
said,  — 

"Miss  Goldthwaite  evidently  suspects  something,  and  ia 
on  the  watch  to  catch  us  foul.  We  must  get  Daisy  out  of 
the  house,  or  she  will  know  that  I  have  told  a  lie.  Heaven 
knows  I  have  but  few  of  them  to  answer  for,  but  in  this 
instance  I  shall  be  forgiven." 

I  had  my  doubts  on  the  subject,  but  remembering  that  I 
had  told  one  or  two  falsehoods  for  the  purpose  of  screen 
ing  my  friend  Hopeful,  so  as  not  to  shock  the  ears  of  Miss 
Josie,  I  did  not  consider  it  worth  while  to  dispute  with 
him. 

"  Where  is  Daisy  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  In  her  room,  where  she  will  remain  until  after  your  in 
terview  with  her." 


266  THE    GOLD   HUNTEKS   IN  EUROPE,   OB 

"My  interview  with  her?"  I  asked.  "What  have  ."  to 
do  with  her  ?  " 

"  Much.  You  must  see  her  at  once,  and  tell  her  what 
arrangements  we  have  made  in  her  behalf,  and  induce  her 
to  accept  of  our  propositions." 

"  But  look  here.    I  thought  that  you  were  to  do  all  that." 

"  So  I  was,  but  I  can't  do  it  as  well  as  you.  My  heart 
fails  me  in  this  respect;  so,  like  a  good  fellow,  as  you  are, 
undertake  the  job,  and  I'll  keep  Miss  Goldthwaite  in  play 
while  you  talk  with  her.  I  should  break  down  and  fail, 
while  I  know  you  will  succeed." 

After  such  a  delicious  bit  of  flattery  I  could  not  refuse 
his  request,  and  leaving  Murden,  I  went  to  Daisy's  room, 
and  found  her  looking  out  of  a  window. 

She  was  not  surprised  to  see  me,  although  I  noticed  that 
she  was  a  little  timid  at" finding  herself  alone  in  a  room 
with  one  who  was  comparatively  a  stranger.  At  the  same 
time  I  observed  that  the  girl  had  been  crying,  and  that 
her  eyes  were  still  damp  with  tears. 

She  put  her  hand  in  mine,  and  for  a  moment  I  held  it, 
and  admired  the  modest,  subdued  style  of  her  beauty, 
and  I  did  not  blame  Hopeful  for  his  passion,  or  for  feel 
ing  bad  at  the  parting. 

But  it  was  dangerous  to  look  at  or  hold  so  pretty  a  girl's 
hand ;  so  I  turned  my  eyes  and  relinquished  her  fingers. 

"  Are  you  very  much  offended  with  me  for  entering  the 
parlor  while  that  beautiful  young  lady  was  there  ?  "  asked 
Daisy.  "I  did  not  know  that  she  was  there,  or  I  would 
not  have  disturbed  you.  Did  she  ask  who  I  was  ?  " 

"  She  did." 

"  And  you  told  her  that  I  was  different  from  her." 

"No,  Daisy,  I  told  her  no  such  thing.  ^She  is  in  igno 
rance,  and  will  remain  so  all  of  her  lifetime,  as  far  as  your 
personal  history  is  concerned." 

Daisy  extended  both  her  little  hands,  in  her  joy  at  my 
explanation. 

"  Thanks,"  she  said.  "You  are  more  generous  than 
some  men.  I  wish  that  I  could  repay  your  kindness." 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  267 

And  orce  more  I  saw  the  tears  well  up  from  her  .yes ;  then 
she  laid  her  fair  head  on  my  shoulder  and  sobbed  in  a 
most  distressing  manner. 

I  tried  to  comfort  her,  and  think  that  I  succeeded  in 
talking  her  into  a  state  of  calmness;  and  then  she  burst 
out  with,  — 

:<  O,  how  I  wish  that  I  was  good,  and  could  live  my  iife 
over!" 

"  Daiuy,"  I  said,  in  an  earnest  tone, "  there  is  a  chanco 
for  you  yet." 

She  laid  both  hands  on  my  shoulders  and  looked  me 
full  in  the  face,  as  though  startled  at  the  idea.  At  the 
same  time  her  face  flushed  with  surprise  at  my  words. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked ;  and  I  thought  that 
I  saw  hope  in  her  face. 

"Just  what  I  say,  Daisy.  If  you  are  so  disposed,  a 
great  future  is  open  for  you." 

"  And  the  past  can  be  forgotten  ?  " 

"  Entirely." 

She  placed  her  fair  head  once  more  on  my  shoulder  and 
appeared  to  think.  For  a  short  time  I  did  not  disturb  her 
meditations,  for  I  wanted  her  to  reflect.  Gently  I  put  an 
arm  around  her  slim  waist  and  held  her  in  a  brotherly, 
fatherly,  or  some  other  kind  of  an  embrace,  I  have  forgot 
ten  which  just  at  this  moment,  for  I  know  I  was  tried 
almost  beyond  endurance,  yet  my  stout,  manly  heart  did 
not  fail  me  in  the  emergency. 

"  Tell  me  what  you  mean,"  Daisy  said,  looking  up  from 
her  refuge. 

"  Then  listen  to  me  attentively.  You  have  no  great  ties 
tft  bind  you  to  England  —  have  you?" 

"None.     I  am  friendless." 

"And  you  could  leave  England  without  a  pang?" 

"  Yes,  if  I  was  sure  of  the  future." 

"  You  shall  be  assured  of  that.  A  bright  future  will  be 
opened  to  you." 

"  And  will  you  go  with  me,  so  that  the  brightness  of 


268  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUBCi'E,   OB 

the  future  may  not  be  dimmed  ?  "  she  asked,  in  her  child- 
like  simplicity,  it  seemed  to  me. 

"  No ;  that  is  impossible." 

She  gently  withdrew  her  form  from  my  embrace,  re 
moved  her  head  from  my  shoulder,  and  walked  to  the  win- 
clow,  and  looked  out. 

After  a  moment  I  followed  her,  and  spoke  to  her. 

"What  are  you  thinking  of?"  I  asked. 

She  did  not  answer  me,  but  continued  gazing  into  the 
street. 

"  Think  as  much  as  you  please,"  I  said,  "  only  you  must 
make  up  your  mind  what  you  will  do,  for  Mr.  Murden  is 
expecting  your  answer." 

"Tell  me  what  you  want  me  to  do,"  she  replied.  "I  am 
grateful  for  what  you  have  done,  yet  I  do  not  know  what 
to  do  to  secure  your  approbation." 

"  Then  listen  to  me  in  silence,  but  at  the  same  time  look 
at  me,  and  not  into  the  street." 

She  raised  her  eyes  to  my  face,  and  said  I  was  to  go  on. 

"  Mr.  Murden  is  very  anxious  that  you  should  go  to  his 
home,  in  Australia,  where  you  will  find  friends,  until  he  re 
turns.  Your  past  life  is  to  remain  unknown.  Your  future 
life  will  be  all  that  you  could  desire.  Some  goo$  man  will 
claim  you  as  a  wife,  and  then  you  can  count  on  that  hap 
piness  which  you  so  much  wish.  On  board  the  ship  that 
is  to  take  you,  friends  will  be  found  who  will  look  after 
your  welfare.  They  will  only  know  you  as  a  relative  of 
Mr.  Murden,  and  that  will  be  sufficient  to  secure  you  all 
due  respect." 

"  The  proposition  is  so  sudden,"  she  murmured.  "  If 
you  were  going  with  me,  or  if  one  friend  was  on  board  the 
BLip,  I  should  feel  a  little  different." 

"  It  is  better  as  it  is." 

"Perhaps  so." 

"  You  must  think  and  feel  so.  Only  consider  the  honor 
able  position  in  which  you  now  find  yourself,  compared  with 
what  you  were  twenty-four  hours  ago." 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  269 

u  I  know,  I  know ;  but  O,  it  is  terrible  to  part  with  friends 
whom  you  truly  esteem." 

"  Do  you  feel  the  parting  with  Hopeful  so  keenly  ?  " 

"  No,  not  with  him." 

I  did  not  farther  question  her. 

"  Forget  that  you  ever  saw  us,"  I  said,  "  or  else  remem 
ber  us  only  as  benefactors.  We  could  not  wrong  you  so 
much  as  to  pretend  to  love  where  affection  did  net  exist." 

She  raised  my  hand  and  kissed  it,  and  covered  it  with 
tears,  as  she  murmured,  — 

"  I'll  go ;  but  I  shall  never,  never  forget  your  kindness,  or 
the  kindness  of  your  friends." 

I  bent  my  head  and  kissed  her  thin,  red  lips,  and  then 
she  drew  back  as  though  she  feared  I  would  repeat  the 
salute.  Well,  the  temptation  was  strong,  but  I  conquered 
it,  for  I  recollected  my  mission  and  the  misfortunes  of  the 
poor  child  before  me. 

"  We  will  call  it  a  bargain,  Daisy  ?  "  I  asked,  still  holding 
one  of  her  hands,  and  watching  the  tears  that  .she  could 
not  entirely  keep  back. 

"  Yes,  if  you  so  will  it." 

"  And  you  will  write  to  us  after  you  are  in  Melbourne, 
and  tell  us  how  happy  you  are,  and  how  well  you  are  suc 
ceeding  in  your  new  home  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  will  do  as  you  request  me." 

"  And  will  you  start  this  very  day  on  the  voyage  ?  " 

A  moment's  pause,  a  brushing  away  of  tears,  and  then 
came  the  low  answer  — 

"  The  sooner  the  better." 

I  stepped  to  the  door  to  call  Mr.  Murden  and  announce 
the  result.  For  some  reason,  Daisy  followed  me,  and, 
when  I  opened  the  door,  appeared  at  my  side.  Just  at 
this  moment  Miss  Goldthwaite  left  our  private  parlor,  talk 
ing  in  a  laughing  tone  with  Fred. 

She  lookel  up  and  saw  Daisy  and  myself,  and  then  I 
noticed  a  change  in  her  expression,  that  did  not  argue  well 
for  my  interest. 


270       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

DAISY    AND    HER    VOYAGE.  —  EXPLANATIONS.  —  OFF    FOB 
LONDON. THE     PRIDE     OF    ENGLAND. A   CALLER. A 


Miss  GOLDTHWAITE,  as  she  appeared  at  the  door  with 
Fred,  gave  but  two  glances  in  my  direction.  The  first  one 
was  directed  to  me,  and  the  second  one  to  my  poor  un 
fortunate  companion,  Daisy,  whom  I  had  just  persuaded 
to  go  to  Australia  in  a  ship  that  was  to  sail  that  very  day. 
Those  two  glances  were  enough  to  satisfy  the  proud,  high- 
Bpirited  girl  that  I  had  some  motive  in  concealing  certain 
things;  and  although  she  had  no  claim  on  me,  yet  she 
chose  to  appear  a  little  resentful,  as  all  handsome  girls  will 
appear  when  their  pride  is  touched,  or  their  confidence  is 
not  sought. 

I  saw  that  I  had  more  explanations  to  offer  and  more 
lies  to  tell,  and  the  latter  did  not  suit  me,  for  I  wanted  to 
be  straightforward  in  my  dealings  with  Miss  Josie,  and 
had  not  the  least  desire  to  deceive,  as  the  reader  well 
knows. 

Well,  I  would  not  let  Daisy  see  that  I  felt  disappointed 
at  Miss  Josie's  obtaining  a  glimpse  of  me,  so  put  on  a  smile 
when  our  protegee  once  more  commented  on  the  remarkable 
beauty  of  Miss  Goldthwaite. 

uAh,"  she  sighed,  "if  I  was  only  as  handsome  and 
good  as  she  is,  how  happy  I  should  be ! " 

"Remember  the  better  days,"  I  said.  "Let  us  hope  for 
the  future,  and  be  dead  to  the  past." 

Murden  was  in  the  corridor  waiting  the  result  of  my 
interview  with  Daisy.  I  called  him,  and  he  hastened 
to  us. 

"  Well,"  he  asked,  M  what  luck  ?    Does  she  consent  ?  " 

"  Yes.     She  will  do  as  you  require." 

"  Thank  fortune.    I  was  fearful  that  she  would  hesitate, 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  271 

There  is  no  time  to  be  lost.  Go  to  Miss  Golclthwaite,  and 
I  will  hasten  to  a  store  with  Daisy,  and  provide  her  out-fit. 
Meet  us  at  the  ship  at  eleven  o'clock.  I  shan't  come  back 
to  the  hotel  until  the  vessel  sails." 

I  promised,  and  then  turned  back  to  take  a  look  at 
Daisy.  She  had  heard  all  that  passed  between  Mnrden 
and  myself,  and  now  sat  in  a  chair  in  her  chamber,  with 
ter  face  buried  in  her  hands  and  tears  trickling  between 
her  fingers. 

"God  bless  you,  Daisy!"  I  said,  as  I  laid  a  hand  on 
her  head. 

"  God  bless  you  in  return  for  all  your  kindness,"  was  her 
answer ;  and  then  I  bent  down  and  kissed  her  forehead,  and 
teft  the  room. 

I  hastened  to  the  parlor,  where  Miss  Josie  and  Fred 
were  engaged  in  conversation,  and  the  lady's  father  was 
reading  a  morning  paper  which  contained  a  brilliant 
description  of  the  capture  of  some  dozen  Fenians  by  her 
majesty's  troops.  The  account  merely  stated  that  several 
Americans  were  taken  with  the  party,  but  they  had  repre 
sented  themselves  as  tourists,  and  were  discharged  by  the 
lord  lieutenant. 

Miss  Josie  did  not  look  at  me  with  favorable  eyes  as  I 
approached  her.  Fred,  who  knew  my  weakness,  like  the 
good  fellow  that  he  was,  vacated  his  place  at  the  lady's 
side,  so  that  I  could  take  a  chance  at  conversing  with  her. 
But  to  his  surprise  she  asked  him  to  remain,  and  brought 
her  whole  battery  of  attractions  to  bear  on  him,  while  I 
was  unnoticed. 

Fred  telegraphed  to  me  to  know  what  it  meant,  and  I 
returned  an  answer  that  I  would  explain  at  some  future 
time. 

"  We  shall  be  ready  to  take  the  night  train  for  London," 
1  said,  as  soon  as  I  could  get  in  a  word. 

"  O,  indeed  ; "  and  once  more  the  young  lady  turned  to 
Fred. 

"  Would  you  prefer  leaving  to-night,  or -waiting  until  to 
morrow  morning  ?  "  I  asked. 


272        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUBOPE,  OB 

"  Really,  it  makes  no  difference  to  me.  Perhaps  you 
had  better  arrange  the  whole  matter  with  papa ; "  and  then 
she  again  turned  to  Fred. 

"  O,  let  me  take  the  whole  charge  of  the  matter,"  Fred 
said,  and  started  up  to  speak  to  Mr.  Goldthwaite ;  but 
Miss  Josie  detained  him. 

"  Pray,  don't  leave  me.  I  shall  be  awful  dull  if  you  do, 
with  no  one  to  speak  to." 

"But  here  is  my  friend;"  and  Fred  nodded  to  me  and 
gmiled.  "  He  will  entertain  you." 

"  No ;  he  has  other  business.  He  will  exchange  but  a 
word,  and  then  leave  me  for  more  congenial  society." 

"  Miss  Josie,"  I  said,  in  a  grave  tone,  "  I  won't  quarrel 
with  you,  much  as  you  may  desire  to.  For  all  that  I  have 
done  I  have  a  satisfactory  explanation,  and  you  know  it. 
Let  us  be  friends  as  long  as  you  are  under  this  roof,  and 
strangers  after  we  leave  it,  if  you  desire  it." 

"I  do  desire  it,"  she  said,  without  a  moment's  thought 
or  reflection. 

Fred  looked  on  with  astonishment.  He  could  not 
understand  what  it  meant.  He  knew  that  something  was 
wrong,  but  what  it  was  he  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to 
ask  just  at  that  time,  knowing  that  I  would  explain  every 
thing  as  soon  as  I  could  find  an  opportunity.  Therefore, 
like  the  good  discreet  fellow  that  he  was,  he  bowed  to  the 
passionate  young  lady  and  turned  away  from  us,  so  that 
we  could  settle  our  quarrel  to  suit  ourselves,  without  his 
hearing  what  was  said  on  either  side. 

u  Miss  Josie,"  I  said,  "  are  you  in  earnest  in  what 
you  say  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir;  I  am." 

"Will  you  give  me  your  hand  on  it  to  prove  your 
sincerity  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  I  will  not.  You  have  just  been  holding  the 
hand  of  a  young  lady  in  her  private  room;  so  I  don't  care 
to  place  myself  on  a  level  with  her." 

Now,  if  I  had  had  more  experience  with  the  sex, 
I  should  have  known  that  she  was  a  little  jealous ;  but 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  273 

at  the  time  I  imagined  that  she  was  baling  over  with 
virtuous  indignation  at  the  idea  of  finding  a  suspicious 
female  in  our  apartments,  whom  I  was  endeavoring  to 
conceal  from  her  sharp  eyes. 

"  The  young  lady  whom  you  allude  to  has  left  the  house 
with  her  relative,  and  will  return  no  more.  In  a  few  hours 
she  will  be  on  her  way  to  Australia." 

"Of  course  you  were  taking  leave  of  her  in  her  room?" 

"Yes,  because  I  could  not  induce  her  to  enter  the  par 
lor  and  encounter  you,  on  the  simple  ground  that  her  dress 
was  not  good  enough,  and  that  she  looked  like  a  fright  in 
her  hurried  toilet,  compared  to  your  elaborate  and  taste 
ful  display." 

Women  like  to  have  their  toilets  complimented,  even 
if  they  pretend  that  they  don't  like  to  be  praised  for  their 
beauty.  Miss  Josie  was  no  exception  to  the  rule.  She 
tossed  her  pretty  head  in  disdain,  apparently,  but  I  saw 
that  she  was  mollified  by  the  compliment,  and  that  her 
eyes  softened  a  little.  She  managed  to  murmur  the  word 
"Indeed." 

"  O,  yes ;  and  Mr.  Murden  thought  I  had  better  shake 
hands  with  her  where  she  was,  before  she  left  the  house. 
I  did  so,  and  you  saw  me  in  the  act." 

She  could  not  stand  up  in  the  presence  of  such  a  cool, 
plausible  yarn  as  the  one  I  had  told,  and  with  so  many 
backers  as  I  had ;  but  she  did  rally  a  little,  and  asked,  — 

"Did  Mr.  Fred  part  from  the  lady  in  the  same  manner?" 

"  Of  course.    Just  ask  him.     Here,  Fred." 

"  It  is  of  no  consequence,"  the  lady  said.  "  Your  ex 
planation  is  quite  satisfactory." 

"  And  you  will  shake  hands  on  the  strength  of  it  ? "  I 
asked. 

"Yes." 

She  gave  me  her  little  hand,  and  allowed  me  to  squeeze 
it  just  a  bit,  and  then  to  press  it  to  my  lips,  for  the  reason 
that  I  was  not  quite  prepared  to  kiss  her. 

"  Before  we  are  complete  friends,"  I  said,  '<  let  me  make 
one  more  explanation." 
18 


274  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OB 

"Yes,  half  a  dozen  of  them,  if  they  are  all  satisfactory." 
She  was  getting  in  good  humor  —  that  was  evident.    I 

could  see  by  her  eyes  that  she  felt  better. 

"  Well,  the  ship  that  the  young  lady  sails  in  leaves  the 

dock  at  one  o'clock.     I  am  going  to  see  her  off  at  that 

hour." 

"<WtIgOt03?" 

"  Of  course  you  can,  if  you  desire  it.  I  will  have  a  car 
riage  ready,  and  we  will  all  start  together  —  your  father  as 
well  as  yourself.  I  shall  be  delighted  with  your  company." 

"  I  do  believe  you  are  a  real  good  fellow,"  she  said,  and 
once  more  gave  me  her  hand,  to  prove  that  the  assertion 
came  from  her  heart. 

"  Then  we  are  really  friends  once  more,"  I  said. 

"Yes,  and  will  continue  so  until  you  provoke  me  to 
quarrel  with  you." 

I  thought  that  was  cool,  considering  that  I  had  done 
nothing  but  fib  a  little  to  screen  a  friend.  However,  I  was 
too  happy  at  the  turn  which  affairs  had  taken  to  find  much 
fault,  and  mentally  hoped  that  so  particular  and  exacting 
a  young  lady  would  never  discover  that  I  had  deceived 
her. 

So  Miss  Josie  and  I  sat  down  and  had  a  long  and  pleas 
ant  chat.  She  told  us  all  that  transpired  on  board  the 
Bteamer  after  we  had  left  her  at  Queenstown,  and  how 
kindly  the  Earl  of  Buckland  and  his  countess  had  spoken 
of  us,  and  how  much  care  they  bestowed  upon  my  son, 
whom  they  took  charge  of. 

Thus  engaged  in  pleasant  conversation,  time  passed  BO 
rapidly  that  I  was  not  aware  that  twelve  o'clock  had 
arrived,  until  Fred  came  in  and  told  me  that  a  carriage 
was  at  the  door,  ready  to  take  us  to  the  dock. 

"  Hopeful,"  he  whispered,  "  is  still  in  bed,  and  refuses  to 
move.  I  have  not  told  him  that  Daisy  is  to  leave  us,  for 
he  is  miserable  enough  without  the  information.  Besides, 
if  I  enlightened  him,  he  might  make  a  fool  of  himself,  and 
that  is  not  desirable  just  at  this  time.  I  have  put  Rover 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  *  275 

jn  his  root..,  so  they  can  keep  each  other  company  untfi 
we  retain." 

He  had  done  just  as  I  could  have  wished,  and  I  pressed 
his  hand  in  token  of  my  appreciation  of  his  course. 

Then  Miss  Josie  got  ready  in  a  few  minutes;  she 
took  my  arm,  and  down  stairs  we  went  to  the  carriage, 
all  as  happy  as  we  could  be,  and  full  of  plans  for  the 
future,  when  we  should  meet  in  Paris. 

We  drove  to  the  docks,  and  found  the  ship  that  was  to 
sail  for  Australia.  Fred  went  on  board,  and  discovered 
Daisy  and  Murden,  the  latter  hard  at  work  fitting  up  a 
state-room  and  stowing  away  her  baggage  so  that  the 
lady  could  find  it  when  wanted. 

As  for  Daisy,  she  was  sitting  in  the  cabin,  and  cry 
ing  as  bitterly  as  she  had  in  the  morning;  and  all  of  the 
ex-commissioner's  sympathy  was  lost,  as  far  as  attention 
was  concerned. 

The  ship  was  crowded  with  passengers,  most  of  them 
belonging  in  the  steerage ;  so  all  was  confusion,  receiving 
stores  and  taking  leave  of  friends.  But,  amid  all  the 
bustle,  Murden  worked  on  with  a  purpose,  and  trans 
formed  the  state-room  into  a  comfortable  chamber,  where 
the  girl  could  have  as  much  light  and  air  as  she  pleased, 
and  would  not  be  rolled  out  of  her  berth  the  first  night 
at  sea. 

"  He  said  that  he  would  come  and  take  leave  of  me," 
Daisy  remarked,  as  soon  as  she  saw  Fred. 

"  He  will,  if  you  desire  it,"  Fred  replied ;  and  then  he 
came  and  told  me  that  Daisy  wanted  to  shake  hands 
before  she  sailed,  and  as  Miss  Josie  was  willing  to  excuse 
me  for  a  few  minutes,  I  went  on  board. 

"  You  will  think  of  me  sometimes  ?  "  she  asked,  when  I 
had  encouraged  her  with  a  few  words. 

"Yes,  I  shall  hear  from  you  quite  often.  Who  knowa 
but  that  we  shall  return  home  by  the  way  of  Melbourne  ? 
and  if  we  do,  what  pleasure  W3  shall  find  in  meeting!" 

**  If  I  could  only  think  so, '  she  sobbed  j  but  before  I 


276'       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

could  offer  a  promise  to  that  effect,  a  call  was  made  to 
clear  the  vessel,  as  she  was  about  to  leave  the  dock. 

The  poor  girl  heard  the  cry,  and  knew  that  the  hour 
of  separation  had  arrived.  She  got  up  and  put  her  arms 
around  my  neck,  and  kissed  me,  and  thanked  us  for  our 
kindness,  and  promised  to  pray  for  us ;  and  then  we  left 
the  vessel,  and  poor  Daisy  was  soon  sailing  down  the  Irish 
Channel  towards  her  home,  so  many  thousand  miles  dis 
tant —  an  unknown  land,  where  the  wanderer  has  looked 
for  a  paradise  and  been  wrecked  upon  a  desert. 

We  all  went  back  to  the  carriage,  feeling  a  little  melan 
choly  at  the  parting,  yet  satisfied  that  we  had  done  our 
duty  towards  an  erring  but  not  a  wicked  child  of  the 
world. 

"I  gave  her  a  letter  to  our  old  friend  Smith  and  his 
wife,"  Murden  said,  as  we  reached  the  carnage  where  Miss 
Josie  and  her  father  were  waiting  for  us  quite  patiently. 
"  They  will  do  the  right  thing  by  the  child,  and  perhaps 
take  her  into  their  family ;  for  I  hinted  that  I  should  regard 
it  as  a  favor  if  they  would." 

Then  we  entered  the  carriage  and  drove  to  the  hotel, 
where  we  found  Hopeful  still  in  bed,  despondent,  and  de 
pendent  upon  gin  and  water  to  keep  from  giving  way  to 
the  wildest  despair. 

We  compelled  him  to  get  up  and  dress  himself,  and 
then,  when  he  hinted  about  Daisy,  we  told  him  that  she 
was  miles  away,  and  that  he  would  never  again  see  her 
unless  he  visited  Australia. 

To  our  surprise,  this  information,  instead  of  casting  down 
New  Hampshire's  favorite  son,  seemed  to  raise  him  up. 
lie  put  away  his  grief  in  the  same  manner  that  he  put 
away  a  glass  of  ^ip.  He  seemed  to  swallow  it,  although 
he  swore  that  it  was  a  <Jarn  mean  trick  to  let  her  go  and 
not  tell  him  of  it ;  but  when  we  explained  that  we  wanted 
to  save  his  feelings,  he  appeared  satisfied  and  reconciled 
to  his  loss. 

And  now  let  me  say  one  word  about  Daisy,  and  then 
dismiss  her  from  my  record.  She  had  a  pleasant  passage 


T&E   DEAD    ALIVE.  277 

to  Melbourne,  and  was  treated,  on  the  voyage,  with  the 
utmost  distinction  by  the  captain  of  the  vessel  and  all  the 
cabin  passengers.  It  was  reported  on  board,  that  she  waa 
a  relative  of  Mr.  Murden,  the  rich  Australian  member  of 
the  cabinet ;  so  she  had  advantages  not  often  allowed  to  a 
poor  girl.  Her  society  was  courted  by  the  best  on  board, 
but  still  she  was  not  spoiled  by  the  flattery  that  met  he? 
on  every  side.  She  was  modest,  unassuming,  and  made 
friends  instead  of  enemies.  Her  dreadful  secret  was  not 
discovered,  or  even  suspected,  by  any  one  on  board,  for 
which  she  was  thankful. 

On  reaching  Melbourne,  she  found  Smith  and  his  wife 
on  the  lookout  for  her.  Murden  had  written  by  steamer, 
announcing  the  event  of  her  sailing,  and  our  old  friends 
went  to  the  city  expressly  to  invite  Daisy  to  make  her 
home  with  them.  She  did  so,  but  had  not  been  in  Victo 
ria  more  than  six  months  when  she  was  married  to  one  of 
the  largest  stock-raisers  in  the  province.  He  was  a  magis 
trate,  a  member  of  Parliament,  and  quite  a  prominent  man 
in  the  colony. 

It  was  a  good  match  on  both  sides.  He  had  money  and 
position,  and  was  quite  a  cultivated  man,  and  loved  her 
dearly.  She  had  beauty,  health,  and  good  common  sense ; 
and  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  she  had  a  real  attach 
ment  for  her  husband.  Two  children  have  blessed  the 
union,  and  there  is  not  a  family  in  Victoria  more  respect 
ed.  Murden,  in  his  letters  to  me,  always  speaks  of  them, 
and  Daisy,  once  in  a  while,  writes  to  me,  but  never  of  the 
past;  nor  do  I  allude  to  it.  The  subject  must  be  too 
painful  for  one  like  her  to  recall.  Her  secret  is  safe  in 
the  hands  of  her  friends.  She  never  revealed  it,  thus  fol 
lowing  the  ex-commissioner's  advice.  Such  a  course  is 
not  alwiys  to  be  recommended,  but  the  reader  must  re 
member  that  Daisy  commenced  a  new  life  in  a  new  coun 
try,  and  deserved  all  the  happiness  that  awaited  her. 
May  Heaven  continue  to  bless  her  and  all  who  call  her 
mother ! 

The  last  time  I  heard  from  her  she  sent  congratulations 


278  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OR 

on  the  eve  of  ray  approaching  marriage,  and  in  the  lettef 
was  an  elegant  diamond  ring,  containing  five  stones,  and 
valued  at  one  thousand  dollars.  It  was  a  present  to  my 
wife,  but  would  not  have  been  accepted,  had  I  not  known 
that  Daisy's  husband  was  so  rich  that  he  could  not  spend 
the  interest  of  his  money ;  and  each  year  but  added  to  his 
wealth.  So  much  for  the  fortunes  of  Daisy  ;  which  proves 
that  our  stay  in  Liverpool  was  not  entirely  devoid  of  in 
terest. 

After  dinner  we  packed,  and  took  the  train  for  London. 
We  had  a  compartment  to  ourselves,  and  I  had  the  honor 
and  pleasure  of  sitting  by  Miss  Goldthwaite's  side,  and 
talking  with  her  all  the  way  to  the  city,  while  Fred  and 
Murden  occupied  the  father's  attention  so  that  he  could 
not  interfere  in  our  chat. 

Perhaps  the  reader  would  like  to  know  if  I  advanced 
my  cause  on  the  journey.  I  can't  answer  that  question 
with  any  degree  of  certainty,  as  I  had  a  peculiar  young 
lady  to  deal  with.  One  moment  she  would  appear  as 
though  absorbed  in  all  that  I  had  to  say,  and  the  next 
would  manifest  such  indifference  that  I  was  more  than 
half  inclined  to  leave  her  and  never  look  on  her  face 
again. 

But  the  instant  she  saw  by  my  face  that  I  was  angry, 
she  would  dazzle  me  with  her  brilliancy  and  kindness; 
and  so  we  entered  London,  on  my  part  charmed  and  an 
gry,  delighted  yet  half  indignant  at  the  pretty  girl  who 
was  leading  me  a  dangerous  game. 

We  alL  went  to  the  same  hotel,  —  the  Pride  of  England, 
—  where  we  found  the  most  eminent  respectability  and 
high  charges ;  where  the  waiters  acted  as  solemn  as  par 
sons,  and  disdained  a  smaller  piece  of  silver  than  a  shilling 
for  handing  a  person  a  napkin,  or  giving  him  a  cup  of  tea. 
It  was  the  most  dignified  establishment  that  I  ever  entered, 
and  it  did  all  that  it  could  to  turn  away  plebeians  who 
desired  to  enter  its  doors.  The  landlord  was  ir  cliaed.  to 
look  upon  us  as  a  suspicious  set,  and  was  rather  scant  in 
his  attentions  j  but  in  the  course  of  the  forenoon,  after  we 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  279 

had  changed  our  travelling  costumes,  and  donned  suits  a 
little  more  becoming,  he  even  suffered  a  friendly  look  to 
appear  on  his  fat  face,  and  asked  us  if  we  were  quite  com 
fortable  in  our  rooms. 

But  the  blow  that  broke  his  pride,  and  turned  him  from 
a  haughty  despot  to  a  cringing,  fawning  landlord,  was  re 
ceived  when  a  carriage  stopped  in  front  of  his  house.  It 
was  a  plain  vehicle,  yet  on  the  panels  it  had  the  coronet 
of  an  earl,  and  a  coat  of  arms  beneath,  while  on  the  box 
were  a  coachman  and  a  footman  in  livery. 

This  establishment  created  the  most  intense  excitement 
in  the  Pride  of  England.  All  the  servants  were  ready  to 
welcome  the  owner  of  such  a  carriage,  and  when  the  foot 
man  entered  the  hotel,  with  a  card  in  his  hand,  and  in 
quired  for  me,  a  revolution  of  feeling  took  place  in  our 
favor.  We  were  acquainted  with  an  earl.  Our  eminent 
respectability  was  established  in  a  moment. 

Half  a  dozen  servants  dashed  up  stairs  to  find  me,  while 
the  landlord  took  charge  of  the  card  to  hand  to  me  in 
person.  There  was  the  most  intense  astonishment  on  the 
host's  face  as  he  said  to  me,  while  I  was  chatting  with 
Miss  Goldthwaite  in  the  parlor, — 

"  Good  'eaven,  sir,  'ere  is  the  Earl  of  Buckland's  card, 
and  he  is  axin'  for  you  in  his  carriage  at  the  door." 

I  took  the  card,  and  looked  at  it  in  so  cool  and  calm  a 
manner,  that  the  landlord  almost  fainted  through  nervous 
ness. 


280  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   OB 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

AN    INVITATION    FOB    LANCASTER    FROM   A   LIVE   EAKL.— « 

MEETING    WITH     RELATIVES. A    BIT     OF     ADVICE. A 

SCENE    UNEXPECTED. 

I  WILL  confess  that  I  felt  some  little  pride  to  think  that 
a  live  earl  was  at  the  door,  in  his  carriage,  and  anxious  to 
see  me.  I  should  not  have  been  human  unless  I  was  a 
little  elated ;  but  I  would  have  suffered  death  rather  than 
have  shown  it  to  the  thick-headed  John  Bull,  who  now 
stood  humbly  before  me,  with  a  silver  salver  in  his  hand, 
on  which  he  had  borne  the  bit  of  pasteboard  containing 
the  earl's  name. 

Never  had  I  seen  such  change  in  a  landlord.  From  a 
fuming,  pompous,  pig-headed  brute,  of  the  real  English 
species,  he  had  developed  into  the  slimy  Pecksniff  breed, 
all  humbleness,  as  far  as  outward  form  was  concerned. 

"  The  earl,"  said  the  landlord,  "  is  at  the  door,  and  his 
ludship  would  like  to  see  you." 

"  Then  be  kind  enough  to  ask  his  lordship  to  come  in." 

"  But  he  may  not  have  the  time,  you  know,"  cried  the 
landlord  of  the  Pride  of  England.  "  The  earl  might  not 
like  it,  you  know,  if  you  was  not  down  to  the  door  to 
receive  'im,  you  know." 

"  O,  tell  him  I'm  in,  and  that  I  should  be  happy  to  see 
him/'  I  answered ;  and  then,  to  show  the  landlord  that  I 
was  not  so  forcibly  impressed  as  I  might  have  been.  I  just 
turned  to  Miss  Goldthwaite,  and  resumed  a  conversatioa 
which  our  host  had  interrupted. 

John  Bull  gave  me  one  look  of  bewilderment,  and  then 
left  the  parlor  under  the  impression  that  I  must  be  some 
body  of  importance,  or  else  such  a  stranger  to  English 
manners  as  not  to  know  that  an  earl  was  a  great  man  in 
that  part  of  the  world,  provided  he  had  large  rent  rolls 
to  back  up  his  position. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  281 

"It  is  really  kind  on  his  lordship's  part  to  call,  and  1 
should  have  thought  that  you  would  manifest  more  interest 
in  the  visit,"  said  Miss  Goldthwaite,  as  soon  as  Pecksniff 
had  left  the  room. 

"  I  am  aware  that  it  is  an  act  of  kindness,  Miss  Josie ; 
but  to  become  frantic  over  the  subject,  in  the  presence  of 
that  old  slimy  Englishman,  would  have  lessened  his  respect 
tor  us  in  a  great  measure.  Keep  cool,  and  make  him  think 
that  we  see  earls  and  noble  lords  every  day  of  our  lives. 
That  is  the  only  way  we  shall  receive  any  attention  in  this 
hotel." 

"  And  he  will  charge  all  the  more  in  his  bill,"  laughed 
Fred. 

"  Perhaps ;  but  then,  with  lots  of  aristocratic  acquaint 
ances,  don't  you  see  that  we  can  better  afford  to  dispute 
his  bill.  We  shan't  tremble  at  his  frown,  but  make  him 
do  all  the  quaking.  But  here  comes  the  earl.  Let  us 
give  him  a  warm,  and,  at  the  same  time,  dignified  recep 
tion." 

The  door  was  thrown  open  with  a  crash,  and  then  the 
landlord  and  two  servants  backed  into  the  room,  bowing 
in  the  most  obsequious  manner,  while  the  earl  looked  as 
though  he  would  like  to  kick  the  parties  who  impeded  his 
progress,  but  was  unable  to  get  at  that  position  of  their 
persons  which  nature  intended  should  be  kicked. 

"  The  Earl  of  Buckland,"  shouted  the  landlord,  by  way 
of  announcement ;  and  as  he  spoke,  he  turned  half  round, 
and  this  enabled  his  lordship  to  get  past  his  tormentors 
and  to  come  towards  us  with  outstretched  hands. 

We  gave  him  a  cordial  greeting,  because  it  wag  a  sincere 
one ;  and  then  Fred  turned  the  landlord  and  his  servants 
out  of  the  room,  although  they  were  dying  to  hear  what 
was  said,  and  to  know  what  business  the  earl  had  witn  us. 

"I  am  glad  to  find  you  at  home,"  said  the  earl.  "1 
feared  that  you  would  be  out  exploring  some  of  the  mys 
teries  of  smoky  London." 

"  Pray,  how  docs  it  happen  that  you  knew  we  were  in 
London  ? "  I  asked,  as  soon  as  the  earl  had  shaken  hands 


282  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IX    EUROPE,    OR 

with  all  of  our  party,  and  paid  a  compliment  to  Miss  Gold- 
thwaite,  which  caused  her  to  blush  like  a  red  rose. 

"  Why,  my  man  saw  you  driving  from  the  railroad  sta« 
tion,  and  so  followed  you  to  this  hotel.  He  informed  me 
of  the  circumstance  this  morning ;  and  I  took  the  liberty 
of  calling  on  you  thus  early,  for  the  purpose  of  assuring 
you  that  your  son  is  well,  and  that  he  is  with  your  father 
an<"  mother-in-law  at  Lancaster.  Of  course  they  are  im 
patient  to  see  you,  and  have  been  much  concerned  about 
your  adventures  in  Ireland.  Sir  William  would  have 
started  and  hunted  you  up,  if  he  had  not  read  in  the  paper 
that  your  party  had  left  Dublin  for  Liverpool.  What  pos 
sessed  you  to  mix  with  tho.se  absurd  Fenians  ?  " 

"For  the  simple  reason  that  we  could  not  help  our 
selves,"  I  replied.  "All  our  protestations  would  not  avail. 
All  Ireland  was  ready  to  swear  that  we  were  head  centres, 
and  so  we  left  the  country  to  avoid  the  honors  they  would 
thrust  upon  us.  It  was  lively  for  us  while  we  were  there  ; 
but  we  had  no  desire  to  become  martyrs  for  the  cause  of 
Fenianism." 

"It  was  absurd  in  landing  at  Queenstown;  but  it  is 
past,  and  now  I  have  come  with  a  proposition  which  is  full 
of  sense.  I  want  all  of  you  to  run  down  to  my  place  at 
Lancaster,  and  stop  with  us  as  long  as  you  can  make  it 
convenient.  Lady  Frances  is  quite  anxious  that  Miss 
Goldthwaite  should  pay  her  a  visit,  and  in  her  name  I 
invite  you  all,  with  the  understanding  that  I  will  not  take 
a  refusal ;  so  make  up  your  minds  as  quick  as  possible,  and 
then  pack,  and  we  will  be  off." 

"  You  know  that  Sir  William  would  not  permit  me  to 
remain  away  from  his  house,"  I  remarked. 

"  Well,  I  really  don't  think  that  he  would ;  but  I'll  ex 
empt  you  on  the  ground  that  you  dine  with  us  every  day 
when  we  don't  dine  with  Sir  William,  and  that  you  make 
yourself  just  as  much  at  home  at  Elm  wood  as  at  the 
Oaks.  Is  it  a  bargain  ?  " 

"  It  is,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned."  And  then,  after  a 
short  consultation,  the  rest  of  the  party  agreed  to  become 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  283 

guests  of  the  earl,  and  to  leave  for  his  place  that  very 
day. 

This  was  all  settled  to  our  satisfaction,  and  then  the  earl 
left  us  to  attend  to  some  business,  but  agreed  to  meet  ua 
at  the  station  at  three  o'clock,  at  which  time  trains  left  for 
Lancaster. 

In  the  mean  time  we  drove  about  the  city,  and  saw  a  few 
of  its  sights ;  but  our  stay  was  too  limited  for  only  a  glance 
at  the  parks  and  a  few  of  the  public  buildings.  We 
promised  ourselves  a  more  thorough  pleasure  at  some 
future  time,  and  then  settled  our  bills  and  left  the  Pride 
of  England,  and  the  landlord,  and  his  high  charges,  never 
to  see  either  again ;  for  when  we  returned  to  London,  we 
had  the  good  sense  to  put  up  at  a  hotel  where  there  was 
much  comfort  but  little  ceremony,  and  where  they  did  not 
kill  their  guests  and  then  suck  their  blood  like  famished 
vampires. 

At  the  station  we  found  the  earl  waiting  for  us.  A 
compartment  was  secured  for  our  party,  and  we  were  off, 
prompt  to  time,  whirling  through  the  best  tilled  country 
that  we  had  ever  seen. 

Past  villages,  through  towns  with  quaint-looking  houses, 
by  ruins  that  were  venerable  with  age  long  before  our 
country  was  settled,  on  we  thundered,  our  journey  en 
livened  by  pleasant  chat,  until  the  cars  stopped  at  a  sta 
tion,  and  his  lordship  informed  us  that  we  were  in  Lancas 
ter,  and  that  his  country-seat  was  but  a  few  miles  from 
the  road. 

I  looked  out  of  the  window  and  saw  several  carriages  in 
charge  of  servants  in  livery.  I  recognized  one  or  two  of 
Sir  William's  people,  and  then  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  my 
respected  father-in-law,  holding  by  the  hand  his  grand 
child. 

In  an  instant  I  was  out  of  the  car  and  had  my  son  in  my 
arms,  and  after  a  long  embrace  I  had  time  to  turn  to  Sir 
William  and  receive  his  welcome. 

My  respected  father-in-law  had  changed  but  little  since 
I  saw  him  last.  His  hair  was  white,  but  his  face  was  as 


284  THE    GOLD   HUNTERS   IN   ETJEOI  1,   OB 

fresh  as  when  we  met  in  Australia,  some  years  before^ 
and  his  form  was  as  vigorous  and  straight  as  when  I  first 
knew  him. 

Hopeful,  who  had  recovered  some  of  his  lost  spirit,  was 
warmly  welcomed  by  Sir  William  ;  and  then  Rover  came 
in  for  his  full  share  of  attention,  and  the  noble  dog  received 
it  as  graciously  as  a  human  being. 

The  rest  of  the  party  were  introduced  to  the  baronet, 
and  after  the  usual  compliments  we  entered  carriages  and 
drove  to  the  earl's  residence,  where  I  found  my  respected 
mother-in-law,  who  had  agreed  to  spend  the  afternoon  with 
Lady  Frances,  so  that  she  could  see  all  of  my  friends  at  the 
same  time,  and  give  them  a  hearty  welcome,  and  invite 
them  to  the  Oaks  as  soon  as  they  could  come. 

Dinner  was  ready  for  all  of  us,  and  no  sooner  was  it 
concluded  than  Sir  William  insisted  upon  returning  home. 
All  knew  that  he  and  his  wife  were  anxious  to  be  alone 
with  me,  for  the  purpose  of  speaking  of  family  matters;  so 
no  objections  were  made  when  we  withdrew ;  but  I 
promised  to  ride  over  to  Elmwood  in  the  morning  and 
take  breakfast,  and  then  lay  out  some  plans  for  the  amuse 
ments  of  the  day. 

I  dreaded  being  alone  with  the  parents  of  Jenny ;  but  I 
knew  that  there  was  no  help  for  it.  I  feared  that  they 
would  ask  certain  questions  which  I  was  not  prepared  to 
answer ;  and  sure  enough,  the  interrogations  came  as  soon 
as  we  left  the  earl's  grounds. 

"Who  is  that  young  lady  that  belongs  to  your  party?" 
asked  my  mother-in-law,  in  a  tone  that  showed  she  was 
ibout  to  begin  her  cross-examination  in  lawyer-like  style. 

I  pretended  not  to  hear,  for  I  looked  out  of  the  window 
of  ihe  carriage  and  admired  the  timber,  and  the  deer 
which  were  lying  in  the  shade. 

There  was  a  long  pause ;  but  Lady  Byefield  could  not 
remain  quiet.  Like  all  mothers-in-law,  she  felt  anxious 
when  she  saw  me  in  company  with  a  handsome  lady.  She 
renewed  the  attack  as  follows :  — 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  285 

"Who  is  that  young  lady  \*tiom  I  saw  with  your 
party  ?  " 

She  made  me  hear,  for  she  put  her  hand  on  my  arm,  to 
attract  attention. 

I  looked  up  and  saw  that  Sir  William  and  his  wife  were 
devoting  their  entire  attention  to  me ;  so  I  summoned  all 
of  my  coolness  and  self-possession,  as  I  answered,  — 

"  O,  she  is  the  daughter  of  the  old  gentleman  whom  you 
were  introduced  to,  I  think." 

"We  know  that;  but  who  is  she?"  continued  her  lady 
ship,  with  some  animation. 

"  We  met  her  on  the  steamer,  and  Lady  Frances  ap 
peared  quite  pleased  with  her.  She  belongs  to  a  very 
good  family,  I  believe.  Her  father  is  rich,  and  they  are  on 
their  way  to  France,  where  they  mean  to  reside  for  some 
time." 

"  She  is  quite  handsome,"  remarked  Lady  Byefield,  in  a 
gentle  tone,  and  with  another  earnest  look  at  my  face. 

I  did  not  quail  in  the  least,  but  returned  her  glance  with 
one  so  vacant  that  she  must  have  thought  me  stupid,  for 
the  moment. 

"  Yes,"  I  said,  "  she  is  called  quite  handsome  by  those 
who  know  her.  On  the  steamer  she  was  a  belle.  I  think 
her  very  entertaining." 

"  Your  friend  Fred  appears  to  be  very  attentive  to  the 
lady,"  suggested  her  ladyship. 

"He  would  naturally  be  attracted  by  such  a  frank,  fresh- 
looking  young  lady,"  I  observed. 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  then  Sir  William,  as 
though  he  had  considered  the  subject,  said,  — 

"  Yes ;  I  should  think  Miss  Goldthwaite  would  interest 
most  any  man.  I  hope  she  will  make  us  a  visit  before  she 
leaves  England." 

Her  ladyship  did  not  reecho  the  wish,  for  some  reason 
or  other.  I  really  think  that  she  suspected  I  had  a  warm 
attachment  for  Miss  Josie,  and  so  began  to  hate  her  as 
most  mothers-in-law  do  their  daughters'  successors. 

However,  she  did  not  discover  by  my  looks  or  words 


286        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

that  I  was  partial,  for  I  did  not  wish  to  mar  the  happiness 
of  her  ladyship  during  my  visit  to  the  Oaks.  She  had  not 
seen  me  for  five  years.  During  those  five  years  I  had  lost 
a  wife,  and  she  a  daughter.  There  was  much  for  me  to 
Bpeak  about,  much  which  a  mother  would  like  to  hear; 
and  I  could  not  pain  her  by  letting  her  think  that  I  was 
not  devoted  to  the  memory  of  the  dead,  and  during  my 
stay  in  Lancaster  I  did  not  let  her  see  that  such  was  not 
the  case. 

I  found  but  little  change  at  the  Oaks.  The  same  ser 
vants  were  there,  and  they  welcomed  me  with  all  the 
enthusiasm  which  favorite  servants  usually  display  on  such 
occasions ;  that  is  to  say,  I  received  a  smile  and  a  bow 
from  each,  and  the  butler  said,  "  Glad  to  see  you,  sir,  and 
I  'opes  you  is  well,  sir,  and  I'm  pleased  to  think  that  you 
wasn't  killed  durin'  the  rebellion,  sir,  as  I  feared  you  would 
be,  sir." 

He  had  about  as  clear  an  idea  of  the  rebellion  as  he  had 
about  the  Danish  and  Prussian  troubles ;  and  once,  while 
I  was  at  the  Oaks,  asked  me  if  the  rebels  were  not  all 
black,  and  if  they  hadn't  licked  the  whites  every  time 
there  was  a  battle.  He  had  heard  that  such  was  the  case, 
and  believed  it. 

I  was  up  early  in  the  morning,  and,  with  Rover  at  my 
heels,  took  a  long  walk  in  the  park,  and  had  some  trouble 
in  convincing  the  hound  that  the  deer  we  met  were  not 
lawful  prey,  to  be  pursued  and  run  down  whenever  he 
fancied.  The  dog  thought  that  it  was  the  meanest  ar 
rangement  that  he  ever  heard  of;  and  I  had  to  talk  quite 
pla;n  with  him  before  he  comprehended  that  the  ani 
mals  were  ornamental  inhabitants  of  the  park,  and  that 
Sir  William  would  be  likely  to  scold  if  his  pets  were 
molested. 

After  breakfast  I  mounted  a  horse,  and  cantered  over  to 
Ehnwood.  Sir  William  refused  to  accompany  me,  as  he 
had  some  business  with  his  steward  that  required  special 
attention,  while  my  respected  mother-in-law  was  not  up 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  287 

when  I  left  the  house ;  so  I  missed  her  usual  greeting  and 
kind  inquiries  concerning  Miss  Josie. 

I  found  my  friends  on  the  lawn,  playing  croquet,  with 
the  exception  of  Lady  Frances,  who  was  in  the  library ; 
and  to  the  library  I  went,  to  pay  my  respects  to  her  lady 
ship. 

She  held  out  her  hand  when  she  saw  me,  and  made  me 
take  a  seat  by  her  side. 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  have  come  to  keep  me  company," 
she  said,  "for  I  was  unable  to  join  the  croquet  party,  hav 
ing  a  few  domestic  matters  to  attend  to." 

I  bowed  my  appreciation  of  the  compliment. 

"Why  didn't  you  bring  your  son  with  you  this  fine 
morning?  Little  Alice  has  been  asking  for  him  ever  since 
she  was  dressed." 

"  He  was  to  follow  me  in  the  course  of  an  hour  or  two, 
with  the  nurse." 

"  That  is  right.     Now  give  me  your  attention." 

"  I  am  listening  with  all  my  might." 

"Which  had  you  rather  have  —  a  heavy  dinner  party 
or  a  ball  ?  The  earl  is  determined  to  give  one  or  the  other 
in  honor  of  his  guests.  Let  me  know  your  feelings  on  the 
subject." 

"We  are  sufficiently  honored  without  either  party  or 
ball.  Do  let  us  remain  here  in  quietness,  for  we  are  not 
ambitious  of  putting  you  to  the  expense  or  trouble  of 
summoning  the  whole  county  for  the  purpose  of  meeting 
us  simple  Americans,  who  do  not  care  for  display,  and 
would  willingly  avoid  it." 

"But  we  wish  to  show  to  Our  friends  the  two  gallant 
gentlemen  who  risked  their  lives  in  Boston  harbor  for  the 
purpose  of  saving  little  Alice.  We  have  not  forgotten  the 
circumstance,  if  you  have." 

44  Then  dismiss  it  from  your  mind,  if  you  think  to  repay 

us  oy  inviting  to  your  house  a  number  of  friends  who  can 

*  have  no  interes    in  us.     Believe  me,  Lady  Frances,  it  is 

my  sincere  wisl-   that  you  will  not  give  either  a  dinner 

party  or  a  ball  while  we  remain  here." 


288       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"What  are  you  afraid  of?"  the  countess  asked,  with 
a  smile.  "Do  you  fear  that  some  of  our  titled  county 
friends  will  carry  off  Miss  Goldthwaite,  and  so  cause  you 
to  lose  the  prize  upon  which  you  have  set  your  heart?" 

"Yankee  like,  let  me  answer  a  question  by  asking  one, 
What  makes  you  think  I  have  looked  in  that  direction  ?" 

"My  judgment  and  my  eyes.  A  woman  is  seldom  in 
the  wrong  in  such  cases.  She  can  tell  by  a  thousand  little 
tokens  the  state  of  a  man's  heart." 

"Indeed." 

"Yes;  so  I  know  that  you  care  for  the  girl,  and  your 
pretended  indifference  does  not  deceive  me  in  the  least. 
Come,  make  me  a  confidant;  for  I  should  like  to  see  you 
married  and  happy.  I  know  that  you  deserve  to  be." 

"When  I  have  anything  to  confide,  I  will  do  so,"  I 
replied;  "so  you  must  believe  me  when  I  tell  you  that 
Miss  Josie  and  I  have  not  exchanged  a  word  on  so  serious 
a  subject  as  marriage ;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  don't 
think  it  would  be  of  any  use  for  me  to  aspire  to  her  hand." 

Her  ladyship  looked  at  me  for  a  moment,  as  though  to 
judge  if  I  was  in  earnest ;  and  when  she  saw  that  I  was, 
Bhe  merely  smiled, .and  said  that  I  was  a  modest  man,  and 
did  not  come  up  to  her  idea  of  a  modern  lover. 

"  Can't  you  help  me  ?  "  I  asked.  * 

"No,  you  must  do  without  my  assistance.  If  you  are 
in  earnest,  and  desire  to  succeed,  I  have  no  doubt  but 
that  you  will ;  but  will  you  let  me  give  you  one  word  of 
advice?" 

"  Certainly.     I  should  be  delighted  to  listen  to  you." 

"Then  do  not  test  Miss  Goldthwaite's  patience  too  far. 
She  is  an  amiable  and  beautiful  girl,  but  she  is  impulsive, 
and  apt  to  be  rash  while  under  a  momentary  fit  of  impa 
tience.  You  might  lose  her  if  you  should  provoke  her 
too  much,  and  that  would  cause  both  of  you  unhappiness. 
Be  gentle,  yet  firm,  with  her,  and  she  will  be  your  wife." 

For  ten  minutes  we  sat  silent,  each  pondering  on  the 
subject  that  had  been  discussed.  At  last  Lady  Frances 


THE  DEAD  ALIVE.  289 

arose  and  came  towards  me.  She  laid  one  hand  on  mv 
shoulder,  and  said, — 

"You  are  not  offended  at  my  words?" 

"  Heaven  forbid.  They  were  meant  in  kindness,  and  in 
the  kindest  spirit  I  take  them ; "  and  I  took  the  little  white 
hand  that  rested  on  my  shoulder,  and  kissed  it;  and  just 
as  I  did  so,  —  in  fact  while  my  lips  were  touching  her  fin 
gers, —  who  should  enter  the  library  but  the  person  of 
whom  we  had  been  speaking  —  Miss  Goldthwaite. 

She  stopped  on  the  threshold  of  the  door,  apparently 
astonished  at  the  scene  before  her.  Then,  as  she  realized 
what  I  had  done,  the  proud  girl  turned  away  with  a 
haughty  toss  of  her  handsome  head,  and  went  up  the 
broad  oak  stairs  to  her  room. 

"You  see  the  result  of  your  good  advice,"  I  said,  with 
a  short  laugh,  for  the  scene  was  so  ludicrous  that  I  could 
not  help  it. 

"Yes,  I  see  that  somebody  is  jealous  of  a  poor  married 
woman,  and  from  this  I  argue  success  to  your  cause.  But 
you  must  excuse  me  now,  for  I  will  go  and  see  the  abused 
girl  and  laugh  some  of  her  nonsense  away  ; "  and  then  the 
countess  smiled  and  left  me,  and  I  went  out  to  meet  my 
son,  who  had  just  arrived  in  Sir  William's  family  carriage 
with  his  nurse  and  grandfather. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

A     rECLARATION     OP     LOVE   ON     THE     PART     OF    HOPEFUL. 

THE     DEPARTURE     FOR     PARIS. OUR     PLANS.  —  AN 

ARREST    IN    THE    NAME    OF    THE    EMPEROR. 

I  DID  not  see  Miss  Goldthwaite  again  during  the  day, 

and  the  countess  informed  me  that  the  young  lady  had 

kept  her  room  on  the  plea  of  indisposition,  but  at  the  same 

time  she  intimated  that  it  was  not  of  a  serious  nature,  and 

19 


290  THE    GOLD    HUN  TEES   IN   EUROPE,   OB 

that  I  need  not  worry  myself  as  to  the  result,  which  was 
conclusive  proof,  I  thought,  that  the  countess  had  had  an 
explanation  of  a  convincing  nature. 

After  luncheon  our  party  mounted  horses  and  rode  over 
the  earl's  vast  estates,  and  saw  something  of  English  farm 
ing —  a  subject  on  which  our  cousins  can  give  us  some 
profitable  lessons,  as  far  as  crops  are  concerned,  while  our 
people  would  laugh  to  scorn  their  farming  implements, 
which  require  the  strength  of  giants  or  several  horses  to 
move. 

But  we  admired  the  crops,  the  hedges,  the  rich  lawns 
with  the  most  velvety  of  grass  —  short,  soft,  and  green  as 
emeralds;  and  when  we  returned  to  Elm  wood  we  had 
appetites  sharpened  by  pure  air,  a  long  gallop,  and  scenes 
which  were  well  worth  examining. 

But  I  must  hasten  to  the  day  of  our  departure  for 
France;  and  yet  I  like  to  look  back  to  the  two  weeks' 
residence  at  the  Oaks  and  the  earl's  place  with  real  pleas 
ure,  for  they  were  the  most  quiet  and  satisfactory  of  the 
whole  time  I  spent  abroad.  The  only  thing  that  disturbed 
me  was  the  fact  that  Miss  Josie  had  seen  me  kiss  the  hand 
of  the  countess,  and  consequently  had  sulked  for  a  day  or 
two  on  the  strength  of  it;  but  she  had  got  over  it  in  some 
manner,  and  I  think  that  Lady  Frances  laughed  away  her 
jealousy. 

Sir  William  gave  a  grand  dinner  party  as  a  parting  tes 
timonial  of  the  estimation  in  which  he  held  us.  All  the 
nobility  and  gentry  of  the  county  were  present,  and  to 
my  confusion  and  dismay  I  found  that  I  was  the  centre  of 
attraction  on  account  of  my  romantic  marriage  with  the 
baronet's  daughter.  Most  of  those  present  had  heard  of 
our  Australian  adventures,  and  were  eager  to  listen  to 
more ;  so  I  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  bring  forward  a  man 
who  liked  to  shine  in  just  such  society.  My  frien  1  Mur- 
den  was  fond  of  talking,  as  he  was  of  action ;  and  when 
those  who  were  introduced  to  me  made  inquiries  respect 
ing  life  in  Victoria,  I  managed  to  invite  the  ex-corn  mis- 
sioner  to  participate  in  the  discussion,  and  then  retire  to 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  291 

some  other  part  of  the  drawing-room.  If  others  assailed 
toe  I  made  Fred  lend  me  a  helping  hand,  while  Ilez  paid 
his  respects  to  the  ladies,  and  fell  deep  in  love  with  the 
daughter  of  the  Marquis  of  Bute ;  and  as  the  young  lady 
was  handsome  and  full  of  fun,  she  took  it  into  her  head  to 
encourage  him,  and  actually  led  the  poor  fellow  along, 
made  him  talk  and  relate  some  of  his  exploits  in  Australia, 
and  when  she  saw  that  he  had  a  mechanical  mind,  induced 
him  to  explain  the  peculiar  workings  of  his  quartz-crush 
ers,  his  patent  rat-traps,  and  butter-making  machines. 

He  forgot  Daisy  and  everything  excepting  the  beautiful 
being  before  him.  He  talked  loud,  earnestly,  and  eagerly, 
and  the  young  lady  enjoyed  her  fun,  and  smiled  to  think 
she  had  so  much  power  in  her  beautiful  face. 

At  last  I  feared  for  Hez's  peace  of  mind,  and  got  tho 
countess  to  speak  to  the  young  lady  and  attract  her  atten 
tion  in  another  direction.  Lady  Frances  did  so,  and  re 
monstrated  with  her  friend,  while  I  took  charge  of  Hcz, 
and  led  him  into  the  library. 

"For  Heaven's  sake,"  I  said,  "don't  let  that  young  Li(7y 
make  a  fool  of  you.  She  is  only  playing  with  you,  and 
will  laugh  at  your  eagerness  as  soon  as  she  has  a  chance." 

To  my  surprise  Hopeful  became  indignant  at  once. 

"  I  wish  you  would  mind  your  own  business,"  he  said, 
"  and  let  me  alone.  Can't  I  speak  to  a  gal  but  you  must 
come  and  put  your  face  in  between  us?  I  don't  serve 
you  that  way  —  do  I  ?  When  you  are  sweet  on  some 
one,  I  don't  try  to  take  her  away  —  do  I  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Then  I  wish  you  would  let  me  alone.  I've  met  a  gal 
now  that  takes  to  mechanics,  and  all  that.  She  is  inter 
ested  in  me  and  in  what  I  say,  and  whose  business  is  it?w 

"You  won't  give  me  credit  for  my  friendship,"  I  re 
marked.  UI  thought  that  I  might  save  you  a  pang  or 
two ;  for  don't  you  know  that  the  young  lady  is  the 
daughter  of  a  nobleman,  and  the  greatest  coquette  in  the 
county?" 

"  Well,  what  of  it  ?    Don't  most  coquettes  find  tlieii 


292        THE  GOLD  HUNTEKb  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

match,  arter  a  while,  and  who  knows  but  her  ladyship  has 
found  hers?" 

I  could  not  help  laughing,  much  to  the  disgust  and  in 
dignation  of  Hopeful,  who  could  see  nothing  to  smile  at. 
He  flattered  himself  that  there  was  a  chance  for  him  in 
the  affections  of  the  lady,  and  that  he  had  made  an  im 
pression. 

"  So  you  have  forgotten  Daisy  so  soon,  —  have  you  ?  * 
I  asked,  as  soon  as  Hopeful  had  explained  to  me  hia 
position. 

"I  wish  you  wouldn't  mention  that  young  woman's 
name  here  in  this  house,"  Hez  said.  "It  ain't  just  the 
thing,  and  you  know  it.  She  and  I  have  separated  for 
good,  and  I've  turned  over  a  new  leaf." 

"  Very  well ;  I  won't  speak  of  her  again,  although  you 
will  acknowledge  that  I  prevented  you  from  making  Miss 
Daisy  your  wife." 

"  It's  no  sich  thing,  now  I  tell  yer.  I  hadn't  any  sich 
idea.  I  guess  I  could  do  better  than  marry  her;  "  and  off 
Hez  went  to  find  and  flirt  with  the  daughter  of  a  marquis, 
engaged  at  that  time  to  be  married  to  the  Duke  of  Pep- 
pergrass,  one  of  the  youngest  peers  of  the  realm,  and  at 
the  same  time  one  of  the  richest. 

I  thought  that  my  friend  was  like  mankind  in  general, 
BO  considered  that  I  had  but  wasted  my  time  and  words 
in  talking  with  him.  If  he  wanted  to  be  singed  by  the 
fire  of  the  lady's  eyes,  I  had  no  objection,  after  the 
caution. 

After  dinner  Fred,  and  I,  and  Murden  left  the  house, 
and  walked  through  the  gardens,  for  the  purpose  of  smok 
ing  our  cigars.  The  night  was  warm  and  pleasant,  with 
a  full  moon  overhead.  We  sat  down  in  an  arbor  and 
talked  of  our  departure,  and  while  thus  occupied  we  heard 
footsteps,  and  then  low  voices.  We  kept  still,  but  peered 
out,  and  saw  that  Hopeful  and  the  daughter  of  the  mar 
quis,  Lady  Alice,  were  near  us. 

•4 Let's  go  in  thar,  and  set  down,"  said  Hez.  "It's  a  real 
good  place  to  talk." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  293 

No;  the  lady  preferred  the  open  air.  Besides,  she 
would  have  to  return  in  a  few  moments,  or  she  would 
be  missed. 

"  O,  they  are  too  busy  to  mind  you,  even  if  you  are 
gone,"  Hopeful  pleaded.  "Let's  go  in  and  rest  awhile. 
I've  g:>t  something  to  tell  yer." 

**  Then  tell  it  to  me  here,"  the  young  lady  said.  "  Thia 
u  as  good  a  place  as  any." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  about  that.  I  reckon  I  has  a  place 
in  Hillsboro'  County,  New  Hampshire,  United  States  of 
America,  that  would  make  you  open  your  eyes ;  and  if  we 
was  thar  I  guess  we  could  talk  a  little  better  than  we  can 
here.  I  ain't  no  nobleman,  as  I  has  told  yer  afore,  but  I 
is  a  downright  honest  man,  now  you  had  better  believe, 
and  you  might  go  a  great  deal  further  and  fare  much  wus- 
ser  than  me." 

The  lady  appeared  to  have  some  slight  idea  of  what  was 
coming,  for  she  mildly  hinted  that  the  house  was  the  best 
place  to  talk. 

"  No,  it  ain't  either,  not  what  I  has  to  say,"  returned 
Hopeful,  in  a  tone  that  showed  he  had  made  up  his  mind, 
and  would  not  be  put  off.  "  I  have  been  waiting  for  a 
chance  all  the  evening,"  Hez  continued,  "  and  now  that  I 
has  it,  I  ain't  goin'  to  be  put  off  any  longer." 

"But,  Mr.  Hopeful,"  pleaded  the  lady,  who  didn't  know 
whether  it  was  best  to  laugh  or  be  angry  at  the  determined 
man,  whom  she  had  been  playing  with  all  the  evening. 

"Yes,  I  know  jist  what  you  would  say,"  replied  our 
New  Hampshire  friend,  "  but  we  ain't  got  time  to  talk  of 
that  now.  You  jist  listen  to  me,  now,  'coz  I'm  in  earnest." 

"  Good  Heaven,"  whispered  the  horror-stricken  Murden, 
who  was  an  intense  worshipper  of  rank  and  all  its  privi 
leges,  "if  he  ain't  making  love  to  the  daughter  of  a  mar 
quis,  may  I  be  blessed." 

He  started  to  his  feet  as  though  the  British  constitution 
was  overthrown,  and  the  nation  tumbling  to  pieces. 

"  Sit  still,"  whispered  Fred,  holding  the  excited  man,  so 
lhat  he  could  not  run  out  and  interrupt  the  fun.  "  Don't 


294        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

disturb  them  for  the  world.  Who  knows  but  that  sh« 
will  accept?" 

"  Accept !  "  repeated  Murden ;  "  why,  she  is  the  daughter 
of  a  marquis." 

"What  of  that?"  Fred  asked,  with  a  low  chuckle  of  de 
light.  "Isn't  Hopeful  the  son  of  a  sovereign,  and  a  sover 
eign  in  his  own  right?  According  to  such  reasoning  he  ia 
superior  to  her  in  rank." 

"  Pshaw!  what  blasted  nonsense!  you  know,"  was  all  that 
the  Australian  deigned  to  bestow  upon  such  reasoning. 

But  Murden  sat  down,  nevertheless,  and  looked  through 
the  rose-bushes,  and  watched  the  love-making,  with  as  much 
interest  as  the  rest  of  us.  Occasionally,  however,  he  would 
utter  a  groan  as  he  thought  of  the  sacrilegious  depravi 
ty  of  Hopeful  in  uttering  burning  words  to  a  nobleman's 
daughter. 

"  Look  ahere,"  said  Hopeful,  as  soon  as  he  had  cut  off 
the  lady's  retreat ;  "  I  jist  want  to  tell  yer  what  is  on  my 
mind,  and  I  know  you'll  listen  to  me  when  ye  hear  what 
it  is." 

"  Please  don't,"  said  the  lady.  "  I  beg  of  you  not  to  say 
anything  more." 

"O,  but  I  shall,"  cried  the  impetuous  son  of  New  Hamp 
shire.  "I  want  to  tell  yer  what  a  gol  darned  handsome 
gal  you  is,  and  how  much  I  should  like  yer  for  a  wife.  I 
tell  yer  there  ain't  nothin'  what  money  could  buy  but  you 
should  have,  and  there  wouldn't  be  a  better  lookin'  wife  in 
all  Hillsboro'  County." 

"Pray,  say  no  more,"  the  lady  said.  And  we  saw  her 
glance  at  the  house,  as  though  she  hoped  relief  would 
come. 

"  O,  but  you  must  hear  me,"  Hez  continued,  after  he  had. 
taken  breath.  "I've  talked  with  yer  all  the  afternoon  and 
evening,  and  now  I  want  to  tell  yer  that  I  never  loved  a 
gal  as  I  love  you,  and  if  you'll  say  the  word,  I'll  marry  yer 
jist  as  quick  as  you  can  get  ready." 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Hopeful,"  stammered  the  young  lady,  "I 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  295 

"  Say  you  accept  me,"  cried  the  excited  Hopeful.  "It's 
all  right.  I'm  my  own  master,  and  I  have  got  money 
enough  to  support  yer.  I'll  ax  yer  father  to-night,  afore 
he  goes,  and  I  know  he'll  say  yes,  when  he  hears  that  I'm 
well  off.  Don't  you  be  afeard  but  what  it  will  come  all 
right.  We'll  talk  it  over  on  the  quiet,  you  know ;  and 
now  give  me  a  kiss,  to  make  me  feel  that  I'll  soon  be  mar 
ried  to  the  prettiest  little  gal  in  this  part  of  the  world." 

Here  we  saw  Hopeful  stretch  out  his  arms,  as  if  to 
enclose  her,  but  the  lady  started  back;  and  just  at  that 
moment  Murden,  who  could  hold  in  no  longer,  uttered  a 
half-suppressed  groan. 

Hopeful's  arms  fell  to  his  side  at  once,  and  he  glanced 
around  to  see  where  the  noise  came  from ;  and  at  that  mo 
ment  Lady  Alice  took  advantage  of  his  confusion,  and  ran 
towards  the  house,  and  we  could  not  tell  whether  she  was 
laughing  or  crying,  as  she  tripped  along. 

For  a  moment  Hopeful  remained  quiet,  as  though  listen 
ing  for  the  repetition  of  the  sounds  that  had  disturbed  his 
love-passage.  We  knew  how  angry  he  would  be  if  he 
should  see  us  and  was  aware  that  we  had  overheard  his 
passionate  declaration ;  therefore  we  concluded  to  keep  still, 
and  not  reveal  ourselves. 

Hopeful  stood  for  a  few  moments  in  deep  thought,  or 
else  listening  to  Lady  Alice's  retreating  footsteps.  After 
a  while  he  roused  himself,  and  exclaimed,  with  a  shout  of 
triumph  and  a  species  of  double  shuffle,  as  a  fit  accom 
paniment  to  his  state  of  mind,  — 

"  Wai,  by  thunder,  they  can't  say  but  what  I've  had  * 
shy  at  a  lord's  darter,  now  I  tell  yer ;  and  darn  me  if  I 
don't  believe  she  wants  me." 

We  were  compelled  to  keep  our  handkerchiefs  up  to  our 
mouths  to  prevent  our  laughing,  and  thus  revealing  our 
presence.  We  managed  in  some  way  not  to  make  a  noise ; 
but  thankful  were  we  when  Hez  returned  to  the  house  an<} 
left  us  to  laugh  and  talk  at  discretion. 

"Well,  of  all  the  d — n  Yankee  impudence  that  ever  I 
heard  of,  this  is  the  worst,"  cried  Murden,  as  soon  as  ha 


ii96  THE   GOLD^  HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE,   OR 

could  give  vent  to  his  indignation  and  astonishment.  "  To 
think  that  a  man  like  Hopeful  should  ask  one  of  the  first 
ladies  in  the  land  to  marry  him  beats  my  time." 

"There's  nothing  so  astonishing  in  the  declaration,"  re 
marked  Fred,  "  although  I  am  surprised  at  it  so  soon  after 
lie  had  vowed  that  his  heart  was  broken  because  we  sepa 
rated  him  from  his  Daisy.  He  is  an  impetuous  sort  of 
chap,  and  when  he  sees  a  pretty  face,  goes  in  for  winning 
it  at  all  hazards.  I  commend  his  choice ;  but  confound  his 
impudence.  With  true  American  spirit  he  supposes  that 
he  is  fit  to  associate  with  most  any  one ;  and  I  don't  know 
but  that  Lady  Alice  would  make  a  good  bargain  in  taking 
him." 

"What  blasted  nonsense  you  talk!"  was  the  English 
man's  reply ;  and  as  we  saw  that  the  subject  was  one  that 
he  did  not  relish,  owing  to  his  prejudices  for  rank  and 
title,  we  bothered  him  until  our  cigars  were  consumed, 
and  then  returned  to  the  house. 

"Where  have  you  fellers  bin?"  asked  Hez,  a  little  sus 
piciously,  as  soon  as  we  entered  the  drawing-room. 

"  O,  out  for  a  long  walk,"  was  the  answer;  and  then 
we  separated  for  the  purpose  of  escaping  a  cross-exami 
nation. 

I  went  direct  to  Lady  Alice,  who  was  talking  with  Miss 
froldthwaite.  Both  ladies  looked  good-natured,  as  though 
they  had  had  a  quiet  laugh  together  over  some  subject 
which  I  could  guess. 

"Can't  you  let  me  into  the  secret  of  your  good  humor?" 
1  asked  ;  but  they  declared  that  they  could  not,  as  it  was 
Dot  intended  for  masculine  ears. 

"There  seems  to  be  some  mystery  going  on,"  I  said, 
with  a  smile.  "I  just  saw  my  friend,  Mr.  Hopeful,  lead 
ing  the  way  to  the  library  in  company  with  your  honored 
lather,  the  marquis." 

The  young  ladies  exchanged  looks  of  consternation  and 
surprise. 

"  O,  they  must  not  meet,"  Lady  Alice  said.  "  What  will 
papa  think  of  me  ?  " 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  297 

a  Can  I  be  of  any  assistance  ?  "  I  asked,  with  re^  enjoy* 
ment  of  the  scene. 

"  O,  yes  ;  do  give  me  your  arm,  so  that  I  can  go  to  the 
library  and  see  papa.  I  would  not  have  them  meet  for  the 
world." 

"  Why,  one  would  think  Hopeful  was  about  to  ask  your 
hand  in  marriage,"  I  said,  in  a  bantering  tone. 

"  I  should  be  ashamed  to  think  of  such  a  thing ! "  Miss 
Josie  exclaimed,  coming  to  the  rescue  of  her  friend,  who 
was  covered  with  confusion. 

"  I  am  sure  I  didn't  think  that  there  was  any  harm  in 
asking  a  lady  to  become  a  wife,"  I  said.  "  If  such  is  the 
case,  I  shall  have  to  remain  single." 

The  girls  exchanged  glances,  and  then  Lady  Alice  ac 
cepted  my  arm  to  be  escorted  to  the  library,  where,  sure 
enough,  I  found  Hopeful  and  the  marquis.  My  friend  had 
not,  however,  opened  his  mind  on  the  subject ;  for  he  had 
not  had  time  to  speak.  He  was  talking  on  other  topics, 
and  thus  the  young  lady  interposed. 

"  I  do  wish,  papa,  that  you  would  order  the  carriage  and 
go  home  with  me ;  for  I  assure  you  that  I  am  not  quite 
well.  The  heat  has  affected  my  head,  and  I  shall  be  grate 
ful  for  a  little  cool  air." 

-  "I  suppose  that  our  conversation  can  be  deferred  until 
Borne  other  time  ? "  the  marquis  asked,  with  a  bow  to 
Hez. 

"  Wai,  I  ain't  so  sure  of  that,"  was  the  reply.  "  We  ia 
off  to-morrow ;  but  if  the  lady  is  willin'  to  lose  a  good 
chance,  I  s'pose  I  am ; "  and  before  Hez  could  say  any 
more,  the  young  lady  had  induced  her  puzzled  father  to 
leave  the  room  and  prepare  for  his  departure. 

"  What  did  you  have  to  say  to  the  marquis  ?"  I  asked. 

But  Hez  was  not  communicative,  and  refused  to  confide 
in  me.  He  was  mysterious,  too,  and  hinted  that  if  every 
thing  had  gone  right,  some  people  that  he  knew  would 
have  been  astonished  at  his  good  luck ;  but  not  for  man*? 
days  did  we  let  him  know  that  we  had  overheard  his  auda 


298        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

cious  proposal  to  one  of  the  rich  fcst  heiresses  in  the  king- 
dora  of  Great  Britain. 

The  next  day  we  all  took  our  departure  for  London.  We 
had  had  a  most  pleasant  visit;  and  our  hosts  had  done  all 
that  was  in  their  power  to  make  as  happy.  We  promised 
to  return  to  the  Oaks  and  Elmwood  as  soon  as  we  had 
finished  our  trip  to  the  continent ;  but  no  definite  time 
was  set,  on  account  of  the  uncertainty  of  our  move 
ments. 

I  left  my  son  and  Rover  in  charge  of  Sir  William  and 
his  wife  ;  of  course  I  knew  that  they  loved  the  boy  better 
than  themselves,  and  that  the  hound  held  a  place  in  their 
affections  next  to  the  child.  It  was  hard  to  part  with  the 
child,  and  almost  as  hard  to  part  with  the  dog ;  but  we 
could  not  travel  with  him  in  France  without  danger  of 
losing  him ;  so  I  thought  it  best  to  let  him  remain  at  the 
Oaks,  where  he  could  have  the  best  of  care,  and  a  large 
park  to  run  in  when  so  disposed.  Rover  whined  a  little 
at  first  at  the  idea  that  we  were  to  be  separated;  but 
when  I  told  him  that  he  must  watch  over  my  son  and  look 
after  him,  he  made  no  further  demonstrations. 

We  remained  but  a  few  days  in  London,  and  then  started 
for  Paris  by  the  way  of  Dover  and  Calais.  Our  passports 
were  all  right ;  we  made  no  attempts  to  smuggle ;  and  as 
four  of  our  party  spoke  French  with  some  degree  of  cor 
rectness,  we  found  no  trouble  in  getting  through  the  cus 
tom-house  without  much  detention. 

On  reaching  the  city  we  separated ;  for  we  did  not  think 
that  it  was  desirable  that  all  of  our  party  should  remain 
together.  Mr.  Goldthwaite  and  his  daughter  took  posses 
sion  of  their  old  quarters,  at  the  head  of  the  Rue  Rivoli, 
while  the  rest  of  us  found  splendid  accommodations  cr.  the 
Boulevard  Sebastopol,  where  we  had  front  apartments>  an 
accommodating  porter  and  wife,  and  no  one  to  care  what 
we  did  as  long  as  we  paid  our  bills  promptly  and  never 
grumbled  at  the  charges  or  items.  We  brought  with  us 
numerous  letters  of  introduction  from  Sir  William  Byefield 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  29'J 

and  the  Earl  of  Buckland ;  but,  after  a  consultation,  we 
agreed  not  to  deliver  them  for  several  reasons. 

"  The  fact  of  it  is,"  said  Fred,  "  we  are  under  an  engage 
ment  with  Mr.  Goldthwaite  which  we  cannot  repudiate. 
I  distinctly  remember  how,  on  board  the  steamer,  we 
promised  to  join  him  in  the  attempt  to  find  his  eldest 
daughter,  wl.o  is  supposed  to  be  confined  in  some  convent 
ill  the  city." 

We  all  remembered  the  promise.  Of  course  I  was  not 
likely  to  forget  it,  for  the  reason  that  Miss  Josie  had  spoken 
to  me  several  times  on  the  subject;  and  each  time  I  had 
vowed  with  all  energy  that  I  would  never  give  up  the 
search ;  and  whenever  I  had  made  a  new  vow  I  was  re 
warded  with  a  little  pressure  of  her  hand  and  a  glance 
that  was  eloquent  of  gratitude. 

"I  take  it,"  continued  Fred,  "that  none  of  us  will  forget 
the  promise  we  made.  We  have  months  before  us  in 
which  to  work.  Even  while  surrounded  by  pleasure,  let 
us  remember  our  vows,  and  seek  for  some  method  by 
which  we  can  discover  the  lady  and  rescue  her  from  her 
living  tomb." 

"We  are  all  agreed  on  that  point,"  Murden  said.  "We 
must  work,  and  work  in  a  secret  manner.  Once  let  us 
discover  in  which  convent  Miss  Goldthwaite  is  confined, 
and  I'll  warrant  that  we  have  her  out;"  and  after  arriving 
at  so  important  a  conclusion,  we  dressed  and  left  the  house 
for  breakfast  at  the  nearest  restaurant,  and  after  that  to 
Bee  something  of  the  city. 

While  we  were  sipping  our  coffee  and  eating  our  rolls 
and  fresh  butter,  a  person  in  plain  clothes  entered  the 
saloon  and  took  a  seat  at  a  table  near  our  own. 

We  did  not  pay  him  much  attention,  but  continued  to 
chat  on  various  topics  until  we  were  ready  to  leave,  and 
then  the  person  in  plain  clothes  arose  and  put  one  hand 
on  Murden's  shoulder. 

"  Pardon  me,  monsieur,"  the  stranger  said,  "  but  I  arrest 
you  in  tT:3  name  of  the  emperor," 


SOO       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

UNDER     ARREST. AN     EXAMINATION. A     REMARKABLE 

MAN. AN    EDICT. A     SURPRISE. THE     EMPEROR. 

THE  mild-looking,  quiet  little  gentleman,  with  a  soft 
voice  and  gentle  manners,  who  had  sat  near  us  in  the 
restaurant,  and  sipped  his  coffee  with  iniinite  relish,  and 
when  he  had  finished  it,  pocketed  the  lump  of  sugar  that 
was  left,  had  laid  one  of  his  hands  on  the  shoulder  of 
Harden,  and  informed  him,  without  the  least  excitement, 
that  he  was  a  prisoner. 

For  a  moment  we  could  not  comprehend  the  French 
man,  so  stood  staring  at  him  in  the  most  absurd  manner, 
while  the  officer  —  he  was  an  officer,  one  employed  in 
the  detective  department  —  beamed  on  us  in  the  most 
engaging  manner,  as  though  he  had  just  performed  for 
us  an  important  service,  and  did  not  wish  any  thanks. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  the  detective,  still  smiling  at  us, 
"you  are  surprised  at  your  arrest,  I  have  no  doubt." 

Murden  admitted  that  he  was  a  little  astonished  at  what 
had  taken  place. 

"  Ah,"  said  the  Frenchman,  "  I  have  been  looking  foi 
you  more  than  a  week,  and  now,  thank  God,  my  search 
is  rewarded.  1  saw  you  go  into  the  restaurant.  I  fol 
lowed.  Nothing  more  natural  than  that,  you  see.  You 
talk,  I  listen.  Good  again.  I  do  not  understand  what 
you  say.  You  speak  English,  except  when  you  talk  to 
the  garqon.  I  listen.  You  talk  of  Ireland,  the  Feni 
ans,  and  then  you  laugh.  Eh,  Men.  I  still  listen  and  sip 
my  coffee.  Presently  you  talk  of  Italy,  of  Garibaldi,  of 
the  emperor;"  and  here  the  little  Frenchman  removed 
his  hat.  "When  you  speak  of  Napoleon,  you  all  laugh. 
Then  I  think  gens  de  meme  famille,  and  I  know  that  I 
have  the  right  man  before  me ;  so  I  wait  till  you  have 
eateu,  and  then  I  arrest  you.  Have  I  not  done  well?" 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE  301 

We  couL,  but  smile,  in  spite  of  the  seriousness  of  the 
arrest  of  our  friend,  to  think  of  the  difference  between 
French  and  English  police  officers  and  detectives.  Here 
was  a  little  fellow,  standing  before  us  and  talking  as  confi 
dent  as  an  emperor,  and  without  the  least  sign  of  fear  that 
we  should  knock  him  down  or  attempt  to  run  away.  We 
also  laughed  in  a  subdued  manner,  when  we  recollected 
that  we  Lad  talked,  while  at  breakfast,  of  our  exploits 
among  tire  Fenians  of  Ireland,  and  we  had  all  laughed 
at  Hopeful  when  he  had  boldly  stated  that  he  meant  to 
seek  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  and  introduce  to  his  notice 
and  the  attention  of  the  empress  the  patent  rotary  gun 
which  Hez  had  invented  in  a  moment  of  inspiration.  We 
had  asked  him  how  he  expected  to  make  his  way  to  the 
emperor's  presence,  and  he  had  hinted  that  he  could  find 
a  way ;  and  then  Murden  had  laughed  long  and  loud  at 
the  idea  of  the  son  of  New  Hampshire  obtaining  an  audi 
ence  with  the  ever-busy  Napoleon. 

The  French  detective  understood  enough  English  to 
think  that  some  plot  was  going  on ;  so  he  thought  he  had 
found  a  celebrated  conspirator  in  the  person  of  the  bluff 
ex-commissioner,  who  was  guiltless  of  plots  against  the 
emperor  or  any  other  sovereign,  for  he  was  too  firm  a 
believer  in  the  divine  right  of  kings  to  intrigue  against 
them. 

"  Look  ahere,"  said  Murden,  turning  to  Fred ;  "  what 
in  the  devil's  name  does  this  polly  vowdedingdon  mean, 
any  how?" 

In  spite  of  the  position  in  which  we  found  ourselves, 
we  could  but  laugh  as  the  extent  of  the  commissioner's 
French  rolled  from  his  lips  in  one  continuous  stream,  like 
the  Falls  of  Niagara,  while  the  face  of  the  detective  as 
sumed  such  an  expression  of  astonishment,  as  he  heard 
Murden's  words,  put  together  without  meaning,  that  it 
but  added  to  our  amusement. 

As  soon  as  we  could  subdue  our  mirth,  we  managed  to 
inform  Murden  that  he  was  under  arrest. 

"Nonsense,"  was  the  reply.     "I've  done  nothing  that 


802  THE    GOLD    HUXTEES   IN  ETTKOPE,   OB 

should  warrant  an  arrest.    This  is  one  of  your  confounded 
jokes." 

"The  gentleman  will  not  find  it  a  joke  unless  he  can 
prove  himself  innocent,"  the  Frenchman  stated,  as  soon 
as  we  had  explained  to  him  what  our  friend  said.  "The 
laws  of  France  are  all  very  strict  on  the  subject  of  con 
spiracies  against  the  emperor." 

"  Look  ahere,"  thundered  Murden ;  "  ask  the  darned 
frog-eater  whom  he  takes  me  to  be." 

In  reply  to  that  question,  the  detective  took  from  hia 
pocket-book  the  photograph  of  a  man  who  looked  enough 
like  Murden  to  be  his  twin  brother.  If  a  stiff  beard  had 
been  added  to  the  picture,  the  resemblance  would  have 
been  most  complete. 

"I'm  blest  if  it  don't  look  like  me,"  Murden  admitted; 
"and  I  don't  blame  any  first-class  officer  for  making  a 
mistake.  But  I  know  I  never  sat  for  that  photograph, 
and  I  know  I  ain't  the  man ;  so  what  does  he  mean  to  do 
about  it  ?  " 

"You  have  made  a  mistake,"  I  said  to  the  Frenchman; 
"but  it  is  quite  a  natural  one,  and  until  we  can  prove  that 
}~ou  have  blundered,  I  suppose  you  will  hold  the  prisoner." 

"Yes,  I  shall  do  that,  and  you  had  better  go  with  me 
to  the  prefect  of  police,  and  satisfy  him  that  your  friend 
is  all  right.  Then  I  shall  have  done  my  duty,  and  tho 
blame  will  not  rest  on  me.  I  speak  plain  —  do  I  not  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  let  us  go.  Shall  we  walk,  or  will  you  engage  a 
carriage  ?  Here  is  one.  Enter,  gentlemen." 

He  had  held  up  his  hand,  and  a  carriage  suddenly 
appeared  from  around  the  corner,  as  though  the  driver 
had  been  on  the  watch  for  a  signal  such  as  was  given.  At 
the  same  time  two  police  officers  in  uniforms  left  a  door 
way  in  which  they  had  been  standing,  and  walked  down 
the  Boulevards  towards  the  tower  St.  Jacques.  They  had 
received  a  signal  that  we  were  not  desperate,  nor  disposed 
to  offer  resistance,  and  would  submit  to  the  arrest  in  the 
most  lamb-like  manner. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  803 

*  Allans"  cried  the  detective  to  the  coachman,  "  to  the 
n.inister  of  police." 

We  rather  enjoyed  our  ride  through  the  busy  streets  of 
Paris,  in  spite  of  the  disagreeable  position  in  which  we 
found  ourselves.  The  detective  was  kind  and  communica 
tive.  We  offered  him  a  good  cigar,  a  prime  Havana,  one 
that  we  had  brought  with  us,  and  had  got  through  in  a 
way  that  all  tourists  understand,  and  that  simple  act  won 
his  heart  and  opened  it  at  the  same  time. 

"  I  hope  your  characters  will  prove  as  good  as  the  cigar," 
he  said ;  "and  the  more  I  see  of  you,  the  more  I  think  you 
are  all  right.  Come,  tell  me  who  you  are." 

"Do  you  really  want  to  know  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  mon  Dieu,  I  should  be  delighted." 

"Well,  this  gentleman,  whom  you  have  arrested,  at  one 
time  had  the  honor  of  being  chief  of  police  of  Victoria, 
Australia." 

"  Ah,  the  devil !  you  don't  mean  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  true." 

"So  that  we  are  comrades." 

"Yes." 

The  detective  extended  his  arm  and  shook  hands  with 
Murden,  and  then  he  once  more  consulted  the  photograph. 

"  Ah,  thunder,  but  the  likeness  is  wonderful ;  and  yet  I 
must  admit  that  there  is  a  difference,  now  that  I  look  at  it 
by  the  light  of  friendship.  Yes,  you  never  sat  for  this 
picture." 

"  Then  why  take  us  to  the  minister  for  examination  ?  " 

The  Frenchman  shrugged  his  shoulders,  as  he  an 
swered.  — 

"  I  rAiist  take  you  before  the  minister,  because  he  knows 
b}  this  time  that  I  have  made  an  arrest.  If  I  should 
release  you,  I  should  be  suspected  of  receiving  bribes.  A 
Frenchman  must  be  above  suspicion." 

We  had  no  intention  of  offering  bribes ;  but  I  really 
don't  thkik  that  the  detective  would  have  accepted  money 
even  if  we  had  offered  it. 


804  THE    GOLD    ITUNTEKS   IN   ETTROPE,   OR 

"  You  may  as  well  tell  us,  now  that  you  believe  us  in 
nocent :  of  what  is  our  friend  charged  ?  " 

"I  can  tell  you  now;  but  say  nothing  to  the  minister. 
He  wishes  to  take  people  by  surprise,  and  make  them  con* 
fess  by  an  overwhelming  charge,  like  that  of  the  great 
Napoleon  at  Wagram." 

We  promised  compliance,  and  the  detective  went  on  :  — 

"Two  days  since,  I  received  orders  to  look  after  four 
men  who  had  left  London  for  Paris,  with  treasonable 
designs  against  the  emperor.  They  were  friends  of  Gari 
baldi.  The  picture  of  one  of  the  men  was  given  to  me.  I 
took  up  my  station  at  the  depots,  and  watched;  but  I 
could  see  nothing  of  those  I  wanted.  Eh,  did  I  get  dis 
couraged  ?  No ;  I  waited,  and  at  last  saw  you  arrive.  1 
followed  you  to  your  rooms.  I  kept  watch  of  all  your 
motions.  I  saw  one  of  you  throw  a  kiss  to  a  pretty  girl  io 
the  street  this  morning." 

At  this  we  laughed  and  looked  at  Hopeful.  He  was  the 
man  who  did  it. 

"  When  you  went  to  breakfast  I  followed  you,  and  heard 
all  that  you  said.  I  understood  the  French,  but  could  not 
master  the  English.  It  is  such  a  terrible  language.  So 
harsh,  and  hard,  and  such  dreadful  words,  I  should  never 
learn  it.  It  is  impossible." 

"Why  do  you  not  arrest  us  as  well  as  our  friend?"  I 
asked  the  Frenchman. 

"Because  only  one  is  dangerous.  So  it  was  said. 
The  others  were  only  friends,  and  would  do  nothing. 
They  cared  nothing  for  ihe  Italian  plots,  and  they  loved 
the  emperor.  Why  should  they  not?  He  is  a  great  man, 
and  has  made  France  the  greatest  nation  in  the  world. 
See  what  he  has  done  for  Paris.  Is  there  any  city 
like  it?" 

We  acknowledged  that  there  was  not,  and  as  our  cigars 
by  this  time  were  consumed,  the  driver  was  directed  to 
pull  up  opposite  the  building  occupied  by  the  prefect  of 
police,  where  the  minister  was  to  be  found  when  important 
cases  required  his  personal  attention. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  305 

We  entered  the  building.  The  detective  reported  him 
self,  and  we  were  told  to  sit  down,  while  two  stout  fellows, 
with  cocked  hats,  and  swords  by  their  sides,  guarded  the 
door,  so  that  we  could  not  pass  out  without  their  consent. 

For  half  an  hour  we  sat  in  the  outer  office,  silent  and 
thoughtful.  Not  a  loud  word  was  spoken  all  the  time  we 
were  there.  In  one  corner  of  the  room  was  an  old  man 
busily  engaged  in  writing ;  in  another  corner  a  young 
man,  who  seemed  to  be  looking  us  over  and  making  mem 
orandums  of  our  personal  appearance  in  a  large  ledger, 
which  must  have  contained  some  curious  names  and  re 
markable  records  of  crimes. 

Every  few  minutes  a  gendarme  would  enter  the  office, 
make  some  whispered  report  to  the  old  clerk,  and  then 
retire  in  pursuit  of  new  adventures.  Each  of  them  gave 
us  a  sharp  look,  as  though  to  recollect  our  faces  in  case  we 
ever  again  met,  which  we  had  no  desire  to  do. 

After  waiting  until  we  had  almost  lost  patience,  we 
heard  a  bell;  and  then  the  old  clerk  nodded  to  the  de 
tective,  while  at  the  same  time  a  door,  leading  to  an  inner 
office,  opened,  and  a  gendarme  with  sword  and  cocked  hat 
appeared. 

"Enter,"  the  last  apparition  said.  "The  prefect  and 
minister  await  you." 

The  detective  touched  Murden  and  pointed  to  the  door ; 
but  just  then  something  suggested  itself  to  our  guide.  He 
recollected  that  Murden  could  not  speak  a  word  of  French, 
and  his  superiors  not  a  word  of  English.  He  sent  the 
gendarme  to  the  prefect,  and  asked  that  Fred  and  I  might 
also  appear  at  the  examination,  as  we  had  important 
testimony  to  offer. 

The  officer  returned  with  permission ;  so  we  followed  him 
to  another  room,  where  we  found  more  clerks  and  half  a 
dozen  gendarmes,  who  seemed  to  be  in  waiting.  As  soon 
as  we  appeared,  they  came  towards  us,  and  laid  their  handa 
upon  our  persons. 

"It  is  useless,"  said  the  officer  who  had  arrested  u& 
**They  are  unarmed,  with  the  exception  of  pocket  knives" 
20 


806        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"  We  must  have  them,"  Avas  the  answer.  "  The  prefect 
will  take  no  risks  from  strangers." 

We  gave  up  our  penknives  without  a  word  of  remon 
strance,  for  we  knew  how  careful  the  officials  of  France 
always  are  in  their  interviews  with  political  offenders; 
then  once  more  we  were  moved  forward,  and  in  a  minute 
found  ourselves  in  a  small,  neatly-furnished  room,  and  in 
the  presence  of  three  gentlemen. 

All  of  them  looked  up  when  we  entered,  and  we  felt 
their  eyes  on  us  in  the  most  searching  manner.  One  of 
the  gentlemen,  a  stout-built  man,  with  a  heavy-looking  face 
and  long,  waxed-end  mustaches,  calm,  fish-like  eyes,  put 
his  hand  to  his  mouth  just  as  the  detective  was  about  to 
make  some  kind  of  a  salute.  It  may  have  been  a  signal, 
for  all  that  I  knew ;  but  at  any  rate,  our  friend  the  officer 
neglected  the  salute  for  that  person,  and  saluted  the  other 
two  in  military  form. 

"  You  made  the  arrest,  Augustus  ? "  asked  one  of  the 
gentlemen,  with  his  little  black  eyes  on  Murden's  face. 

"Yes,  monsieur.  The  person  who  corresponds  with  the 
photograph  is  here." 

"Have  you  asked  him  any  questions?"  continued  the 
man  with  the  black  eyes,  whom  I  took  to  be  the  prefect 
of  police. 

"  Yes,  monsieur,  I  have  asked  him  questions,  and  also 
his  companions." - 

"And  what  do  they  say  for  themselves?  Do  they 
acknowledge  anything?" 

"No,  monsieur,  nothing."  And  then,  with  another  mil 
itary  salute,  added,  "  I  fear,  monsieur,  that  I  have  made  a 
mistake,  and  arrested  the  wrong  man." 

"Impossible,"  cried  all  three  gentlemen;  and  then  each 
looked  at  a  photograph  which  they  held  in  their  hands. 

"Yes,  it  is  the  same,"  they  all  said.  "There  can  be  no 
mistake." 

Then  the  prefect  opened  a  book  and  took  up  a  pen. 

"Your  name  and  country?"  asked  the  prefect,  still 
speaking  in  French. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  307 

"You  can  talk  to  him  in  that  language  all  day,  and  you 
will  get  no  answer,"  said  Fred,  in  French.  "  Our  friend 
does  not  speak  your  tongue." 

The  three  gentlemen  exchanged  smiles,  and  the  prefect 
said,  — 

"  The  last  time  you  were  in  France  you  could  speak 
French,  and  when  plotting  in  England  you  could  speak 
French.  How  does  it  happen  that  you  have  forgotten  so 
soon?" 

"I  think,  monsieur,"  Fred  said,  with  a  smile  at  Murden'a 
look  of  wonder,  not  understanding  a  word  that  was  said, 
"that  you  had  better  be  convinced,  in  the  first  place,  that 
you  have  secured  the  wrong  man.  Our  friend  is  as  inno 
cent  of  plots  as  the  emperor  himself." 

The  gentleman  with  the  dull,  fish-looking  eyes  suffered 
a  grim  smile  to  pass  over  his  face  at  Fred's  words,  while 
his  companions  stole  a  look  at  his  countenance,  as  though 
to  see  how  he  liked  it.  But  they  did  not  smile,  perhaps 
fearing  that  they  would  compromise  their  dignity  by  such 
a  proceeding. 

"  Do  you  know  the  emperor  by  sight  ?  "  asked  the  min 
ister. 

"  No,  sir.  We  never  saw  him.  This  is  our  second  day 
in  Paris,"  said  Fred. 

"  And  when  were  you  here  before  ?  "  asked  the  prefect. 
"  Be  careful ;  for  I  have  access  to  reliable  records." 

"  This  is  our  first  visit  to  Paris ;  and  your  records  must 
contain  much  that  is  false,  if  they  state  that  we  were  ever 
in  the  city  until  the  present  visit." 

At  this  retort  the  prefect  frowned,  and  the  minister  and 
the  gentleman  with  the  peculiar  eyes  smiled. 

**  Don't  you  be  too  sure,"  said  the  prefect.     "  I  have 
caught  smarter  birds  than  you,  as  you  will  understand 
before  I  get  through  with  you.     Now  listen  to  me." 
"We  are  all  attention,  monsieur,"  was  our  reply. 
"Then  answer  my  questions,"  addressing  Murden,  and 
nodding  his    ead  to  Fred  ;  "  do  you  interpret  my  word*  to 


308        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

your  companion,  and  be  sure  that  you  make  nc  mistake , 
for  some  of  us  can  speak  English  as  well  as  yourself." 

"Then  why  employ  one  of  us  ?" 

Again  two  of  the  gentlemen  smiled,  while  the  prefect 
frowned,  as  in  duty  bound. 

"Because,"  the  official  answered,  "it  pleases  me  to  test 
your  honesty  in  any  way  that  I  see  fit." 

"Thank  you,"  returned  the  bold  Fred;  "but  you  could 
have  tested  us  in  a  more  simple  manner.  If  you  had 
asked  us  who  we  are  and  what  we  are,  we  should  have  told 
you  in  a  few  words." 

"  It  is  not  too  late  now,"  the  man  with  the  eyes  remarked, 
in  English,  and  in  a  tone  so  quiet  and  dignitied  that  we 
could  not  repress  a  grateful  bow  to  the  individual  in 
question. 

The  remark  was  given  to  the  prefect  in  French  ;  and  I 
noticed  that  he  colored  and  flushed  up  as  though  he  felt 
the  rebuke.  He  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  asked 
Murden,  — 

"What  countryman  are  you ? " 

"  An  Englishman ;  but  now  a  true  son  of  Australia." 

"  You  are  sure  that  you  are  not  a  native  of  Italy  ?  " 

"  Quite  sure." 

"And  I  suppose  that  your  name  is  net  Guilippo  Mur- 
tano?" 

"Yes;  tell  them  that  I'm  confounded  sure  of  it,"  was 
Murden's  reply. 

"  And  you  never  conspired  against  the  life  of  the 
emperor  ?  " 

•4No;  I  respect  Napoleon  too  much  to  desire  any  harm 
to  him,"  was  Murden's  prompt  reply.  And  I  saw  that  it 
pleased  the  man  with  the  eyes. 

"Why  do  you  respect  him?" 

"Because  he  has  proved  himself  an  able  man  and  a 
good  ruler  for  France.  Why  should  I,  a  stranger  to  the 
country,  desire  the  emperor's  death?" 

"We  can't  answer  that  question,  because  man's  ways  are 
mysterious,"  was  the  prefect's  answer. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  809 

«  Gentlemen,"  asked  the  man  with  the  eyes,  "  what 
brought  you  to  Paris?" 

He  spoke  in  English,  just  as  though  he  was  familiar 
with  the  language  all  his  lifetime,  and  knew  how  to  use 
it  to  advantage. 

As  the  gentleman  looked  at  me,  I  felt  called  upon  to 
answer. 

"  We  desired  to  see  Paris,  the  emperor,  and  France." 

"And  you  wanted  to  see  Paris  more  than  the  em 
peror?" 

"  No,  sir ;  but  we  have  little  hope  of  seeing  Napoleon, 
unless  he  invites  us  to  his  receptions,  and  we  do  not  sup 
pose  that  he  will.  So,  as  Paris  is  free,  we  class  it  first." 

"What  countrymen  are  you  two  gentlemen?  Not 
English?" 

"  No,  sir ;  we  have  the  honor  to  be  Americans." 

"  I  thought  so.  Have  you  letters  to,  or  an  acquaintance 
with  your  minister?" 

"  No,  sir.  We  are  about  to  wander  through  Europe  in 
our  own  way,  and  so  do  not  desire  such  influential 
acquaintances." 

"But  you  have  passports?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  they  were  examined,  and  found  to  be 
correct." 

"  Can  you  bring  any  proof  that  you  are  what  you  as 
sume  to  be?" 

We  thought  for  a  moment.  Mr.  Goldthwaite  was  in 
the  city,  and  could  sustain  our  statements ;  but  I  did  not 
wish  to  call  on  him.  Suddenly  I  recollected  that  the  Earl 
jf  Buckland  and  Sir  William  had  given  me  letters  to  cer 
tain  influential  English  parties  in  Paris,  with  the  under- 
standing  that  I  could  use  them  or  not,  just  as  I  pleased. 

I  produced  the  letters,  and  handed  them  to  the  person 
who  was  questioning  me.  He  glanced  at  them,  and  then 
a  smile  passed  over  his  face,  as  he  said,  speaking  to  the 
minister  and  prefect, — 

"You  have  made  a  great  mistake.  These  gentlemen 
are  not  conspirators*  My  old  friend,  the  Ear]  of  Buck* 


310  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN    E;  ROPE,    OB 

land,  recommends  them  in  the  warmest  terms.  Let  them 
be  discharged  instantly,  and  no  more  molested." 

The  man  with  th'e  eyes  here  folded  up  the  letters,  and 
came  towards  us,  and  put  them  into  my  hands;  and  as  he 
did  so,  he  said,  — 

"  You  want  to  see  the  emperor  —  do  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     It  is  one  of  our  ambitions." 

tt  Well,  then,  look  at  me.    I  am  the  emperor." 


<X>;*KC 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

HOPEFUL   AND    THE    EMPEROR. —  THE    HOPPER    GUN.  —  AN 

INTERVIEW      APPOINTED. CONVENTS. A     DINNER.  — 

AN    APPOINTMENT. 

WE  were  so  much  surprised  when  the  gentleman  with 
the  peculiar  looking  eyes  announced  himself  as  the  Em 
peror  Napoleon,  that  we  could  only  stare  at  him  in  aston 
ishment  and  doubt. 

But  soon  we  began  to  recollect  the  stern  face  that  had 
been  photographically  impressed  upon  our  minds  in  every 
cafe  which  we  had  entered  in  Paris,  and  also  in  every 
room  in  the  house  in  which  we  lodged.  There  could  be 
no  mistaking  the  long,  waxed  mustache,  the  heavy,  full 
face,  the  short  legs,  and  the  long,  stout  body. 

As  the  fact  forced  itself  upon  our  minds  that  we  were 
in  the  presence  of  the  emperor,  the  man  who  ruled  the 
destinies  of  France  and  Europe,  and  whose  word  was  po 
tent  for  peace  or  war,  we  bowed  our  respect,  and  were  just 
about  to  say  something  handsome  and  complimentary, 
something  that  would  have  made  a  lasting  impression 
upon  the  mind  of  Napoleon,  and  thus  drawn  the  lines  of 
friendship  between  the  United  States  and  France  closer 
than  existed  at  that  time,  when  we  heard  a  slight  noise  at 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  311 

the  door,  and,  turning  our  heads,  we  saw,  to  our  infinite  hor 
ror,  Hezekiah  Hopeful  struggling  with  two  gendarmes,  who 
were  trying  to  prevent  his  entering  the"  apartment. 

"Let  me  alone,  gol  darn  yer  picters,"  shouted  our  friend, 
very  red  in  the  face,  and  very  indignant  at  the  restraint 
put  upon  him. 

The  gendarmes  looked  appealingly  at  the  prefect  of  po 
lice,  as  much  as  to  say  that  they  could  not  prevent  the 
stout  Yankee  from  making  a  noise,  unless  they  resorted  to 
Berious  means,  which  a  French  officer  does  not  like  to  do, 
only  as  a  last  resort. 

"I'm  goin'  to  see  if  my  friends  is  imposed  on,  or  what 
is  the  matter  with  'em,"  Hopeful  continued.  "  If  you  lays 
a  hand  on  'em  in  violence,  I'll  stir  up  the  whole  of  Ne\V 
Hampshire  but  I'll  have  redress,  now  I  tell  yer.  Let  me 
alone  —  will  yer  ?  " 

The  last  remark  was  addressed  to  the  officers,  who  still 
clung  to  Hopeful,  and  wanted  to  remove  him ;  but  Hope 
ful  would  not  be  removed.  He  had  caught  sight  of  us,  and 
was  bound  to  join  us  and  see  how  we  had  been  treated. 

I  rather  think  that  the  prefect  of  police  must  have  sig 
nalled  the  officers  to  release  our  friend,  for  they  suddenly 
quit  their  hold,  and  the  next  instant  Ilez  was  shaking 
hands  with  us  in  the  most  enthusiastic  manner. 

"I  rather  thought  that  the  dedongs  had  shut  yer  up," 
«?aid  Hez ;  "  so  I  guessed  I'd  look  arter  yer  a  little  myself. 
It  won't  do  for  'em  to  fool  round  us  Yankees,  unless  they 
is  ready  for  trouble,  now  I  tell  yer." 

The  emperor  saw  that  we  had  a  character  for  a  compan 
ion;  so  he  suffered  just  the  faintest  possible  smile  to  pass 
over  his  face.  He  did  not  appear  in  the  least  offended  ai 
Hopeful's  words,  which  I  put  down  to  his  credit. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  hush,"  whispered  Murderi  in  Hopo- 
ful's  ear. 

"  Hush  !  What  for  ?  "  demanded  the  son  of  New  Hamp 
shire,  not  in  the  least  abashed.  "  Ain't  this  a  free  country  ? 
Ain't  a  man  a  right  to  say  what  he  likes,  and  not  be  tools 
up  for  it :  " 


312       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"  For  gracious  sake,  stop  your  noise,"  Fred  whispered. 
w  Can't  you  see  that  you  are  in  the  presence  of  the  Em 
peror  Napoleon." 

Hopeful  opened  his  gray  eyes  to  their  widest  extent,  aa 
he  started  back. 

"  You  don't  mean  it?"  he  gasped,  in  a  tone  so  loud  that 
the  emperor  heard  it,  and  once  more  smiled  at  our  friend's 
eagerness. 

"  To  be  sure  I  do ;  so  now  act  like  a  rational  being," 
Fred  continued  to  whisper ;  but  Hopeful,  with  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  emperor's  face,  seemed  lost  in  wonder  and 
astonishment. 

"You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  this  is  Louis?  "our 
wretched  friend  cried,  in  a  tone  so  loud  that  the  emperor 
heard  every-  word  he  spoke. 

We  were  so  ashamed  that  we  could  have  kicked  our 
faithful  friend  for  his  gushing  impetuosity.  Of  course  we 
made  no  answer  to  Hez's  question,  and  the  wretched  fel 
low  continued,  — 

"I've  long  wanted  to  see  the  greatest  man  in  all  crea 
tion,  and  now  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  this  is  him?" 

The  emperor  smiled.  He  rather  appeared  to  like  this 
sort  of  thing,  as  a  novelty  in  the  way  of  being  addressed. 

"Louis,"  said  the  wretched  Hez,  in  a  gushing,  confiden 
tial  manner,  "  I'm  devilish  glad  to  see  you,  now  I  tell  you. 
Let's  shake  hands." 

To  our  surprise  and  consternation,  Hopeful  pushed  us 
one  side,  and  walked  boldly  up  to  the  emperor,  and  gave 
him  his  hand;  and  Napoleon  did  not  refuse  it.  No;  the 
emperor,  the  man  who  commanded  a  million  bayonets, 
whose  word  in  France,  Italy,  and  England  was  supreme, 
ehook  hands  with  the  son  of  New  Hampshire  in  as  hearty 
a  manner  as  though  they  had  been  old  friends,  and  had 
just  met  after  a  long  separation. 

"  Louis,"  cried  Hopeful,  still  retaining  the  great  man's 
hand,  as  though  reluctant  to  give  it  up,  "I  like  to  meet  a 
man  of  genius,  and  one  what  appreciates  genius." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  313 

The  emperor  smiled,  and  bowed  to  the  compliment ;  but 
Btill  he  looked  a  little  puzzled. 

"You  see,  emperor,"  Hez  continued,  dropping  the  famil 
iar  name  of  Louis,  "I  can  invent  machines  what  can  do 
the  work  of  a  thousand  men,  and  do  it  well,  too ;  and  I 
have  just  thought  that  you  are  the  man  to  take  hold  of 
my  hopper  gun." 

"Hopper  gun?"  repeated  the  emperor. 

"Yes,  sir.  I  call  it  a  hopper  gun,  'cos  all  you  has  to  do 
is  to  put  the  bullets  into  a  hopper,  and  then  you  turn  a 
crank  and  out  they  fly,  and  with  one  you  can  knock  down 
more  Prussians  in  an  hour  than  a  dozen  of  your  best  regi 
ments  with  rifles." 

I  saw  a  look  of  interest  pass  over  the  emperor's  face, 
and  he  even  turned  to  the  minister  and  prefect,  who  were 
near  him,  and  explained  to  them  what  Hopeful  had  said ; 
and  a  laugh  was  the  result  of  the  reference  to  the  Prus- 

O 

sians,  and  a  more  respectful  glance  the  reward  which  our 
friend  received  from  those  in  authority. 

"Have  you  a  model  of  the  gun?"  asked  the  emperor. 
"  I  take  some  interest  in  fire-arms,  and  should  like  to  see 
what  you  have  so  well  described." 

"But  if  I  show  it  to  yer,  you  won't  come  the  rough 
over  a  feller  —  will  yer?" 

"I  do  not  understand  you,"  the  emperor  said,  in  a  tone 
that  sounded  a  little  stern. 

"What  I  mean,  emperor,"  continued  Hez,  "is,  that  you 
won't  take  a  fair  look  at  my  model,  and  then  go  for  to 
experiment  with  the  principles  —  now  will  yer?" 

"Do  not  fear  on  that  account.  I  have  no  wish  to  de 
prive  you  of  your  honors." 

"Now,  that's  what  I  call  the  right  kind  of  talk,  and  just 
what  I  would  expect  from  a  man  like  you,"  cried  Hez,  in 
a  burst  of  confidence.  "You  shall  see  my  model  of  the 
hopper  gun,  and  if  it  pleases  yer,  we'll  strike  up  a  trade, 
and  make  it  all  satisfactory;  or  I'll  take  a  contract  to  kill 
off  yer  Prussian  enemies  at  so  much  per  hundred,  arter 
you  ha*  declared  war." 


314        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"May  the  day  be  distant  before  France  and  Prussia 
engage  in  war,"  was  the  quiet  answer.  "  France  means 
peace  —  an  honorable  peace,  and  no  other.  There  is  no 
fear  of  war." 

The  emperor  bowed,  as  though  our  interview  was  at  an 
end ;  but  Ilez  was  not  quite  satisfied.  He  wanted  some 
thing  definite  and  clear;  so  he  once  more  returned  lo  the 
charge,  in  spite  of  our  winks  and  hints. 

"Emperor,"  he  said,  "when  do  yer  want  to  look  at  my 
hopper  gun  ?  Can't  yer  appint  a  day  to  examine  it  ?  I 
\\  ant  yer  to  have  a  look  at  it  afore  some  one  else  snaps 
it  up." 

"Bring  it  to  the  Tuileries  to-morrow,"  the  emperor  said. 
"I  will  devote  the  hour  of  eleven  to  looking  at  your  inven 
tion.  I  should  be  happy,  gentlemen,  to  see  you  also;" 
and  this  time  the  emperor  bowed  as  though  he  was  in 
earnest  in  dismissing  us ;  so  we  left  his  presence  with  the 
kindest  of  smiles  from  the  emperor,  the  minister,  and  the 
prefect. 

The  detective,  the  man  who  had  arrested  Harden  on 
suspicion  of  being  Guilippo  Murtano,  accompanied  us  to 
the  street,  and  there  shook  hands  with  us  in  the  most 
harmonious  manner,  and  congratulated  us  on  our  dis 
charge  ;  but  we  were  not  inclined  to  let  the  officer  off  in 
that  manner.  It  was  near  our  dinner  hour;  so  we  pro 
posed  to  him  that  he  should  acccompany  us  to  the  Three 
Friends  restaurant,  and  there  dine  with  us — an  offer  which 
was  accepted  in  the  same  spirit  that  it  was  tendered. 

We  walked  through  the  streets,  and  our  companion, 
who  knew  every  inch  of  Paris,  pointed  out  the  most  nota 
ble  objects  on  the  way. 

"  There,"  he  said,  calling  our  attention  to  a  dark,  sombre- 
looking  building,  that  stood  on  a  by-street,  surrounded  by 
a  high  wall  that  bristled  with  spikes  and  broken  glass,  "is 
a  convent." 

^/e  became  interested  at  once,  and  exchanged  glances. 
xn  some  convent  in  Paris  Mr.  Goldthwaite's  daughter  and 


THE    DEAD   ALITE.  315 

§ister  had  taken  refuge,  and  to  get  the  former  was  one  of 
our  objects  in  visiting  Paris. 

"And  do  young  ladies  still  bury  themselves  in  convents 
in  the  heart  of  this  great  city?"  I  asked. 

"Large  numbers  of  them,"  was  the  reply.  "When  a 
younsj  lady  of  good  family  is  without  dowry  (and  you 
know  here  men  do  not  like  wives  without  money),  owing 
to  the  poverty  of  her  parents,  she  goes  to  a  convent,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  marriage  is  impossible.  Once  in 
a  convent,  a  young  girl  is  safe,  for  she  gives  no  further 
trouble." 

"Does  she  never  leave  the  convent  after  she  has  entered 
it?" 

"Rarely.  Once  in  a  great  while  a  girl  escapes  by  the 
aid  of  outside  friends,  and  sometimes  through  the  law, 
which  can  reach  even  the  interior  of  a  convent.  But  he 
who  fights  the  pope  must  have  a  long  purse,  for  all  man 
ner  of  obstacles  are  thrown  in  the  way  of  those  who  would 
remove  one  of  the  saints." 

We  did  not  stop  while  speaking  of  the  convent.  We 
sauntered  on,  and  Fred  asked,  in  a  careless  tone,  — 

"The  name  of  this  convent  is — " 

Fred  hesitated,  as  though  he  could  not  recall  the  name. 

"The  Saint's  Rest,"  was  the  reply.  "Some  hundred 
nuns  are  in  that  convent,  and  it  is  one  of  the  richest  in 
Paris." 

We  passed  on,  but  the  conversation  made  an  impression 
on  my  mind,  and  I  thought  that  the  information  which  I 
had  gained  would  be  of  some  service  at  future  periods. 

We  had  a  glorious  dinner  at  the  Three  Friends.  Every 
one  of  us  enjoyed  it,  and  none  more  than  our  new  friend, 
the  detective.  He  swore,  over  bottles  of  the  coolest  of 
champagne,  that  he  was  our  friend  for  life;  and  just  as  he 
was  relating  the  most  thrilling  of  adventures,  the  waiter 
ushered  into  our  apartment  a  gentleman  dressed  in  plain 
clothes,  and  who  looked  as  meek  as  Moses;  for  not  a 
particle  of  beard  could  be  Been  on  his  face,  and  but  little 
resolution  on  his  lips. 


816  TFIE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUROPE,   OR 

Our  friend  the  detective  and  the  new  comer  were  ac 
quainted.  They  shook  hands,  and  then  we  were  intro 
duced  in  due  form.  The  stranger  was  another  of  the 
mysterious  combinations  of  Paris  by  which  the  people 
are  kept  in  subjection,  and  all  their  feelings  known  to 
those  in  authority.  He  was  named  Dupont,  and  consid 
ered  one  of  the  ablest  officers  in  the  department ;  for,  in 
epite  of  his  lamb-like  look,  he  was  as  brave  as  a  lion  and 
as  crafty  as  a  fox. 

"  My  child,"  said  the  new  comer  to  our  friend  Farenti, 
"I  heard  that  thou  wert  here.  One  of  the  gendarmes 
saw  thee  enter  this  place ;  so  I  made  bold  to  follow,  for  I 
have  work  for  thee  that  must  be  done." 

"And  no  man  is  more  willing  to  work  with  Dupont 
than  I,  my  friend.  But  is  there  much  occasion  for  haste? 
Canst  thou  not  find  time  to  drink  a  cup  of  wine  with  my 
new  friends?  Three  of  them  are  Americans,  and  the 
other  is  a  born  Englishman,  who  has  seen  much  service 
in  that  strange  country  called  Australia,  where  the  con 
victs  are  fierce  for  blood,  and  the  wines  all  sour,  and  the 
winds  parch  the  skin  until  it  looks  like  the  head  of  a  drum, 
and  the  women  have  fashions  that  are  two  years  old.  Ah, 
my  child,  he  has  suffered  in  that  part  of  the  world,  and 
now  sees  enjoyment  for  the  first  time  in  la  belle  Paris. 
Shake  hands  with  him,  for  he  belongs  to  our  noble  pro 
fession." 

We  gave  Murden  the  substance  of  the  conversation,  and 
then  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  the  Englishman  arid 
the  Frenchman  shake  hands  in  true  fraternal  manner; 
and  it  needed  but  a  word  of  mine  to  place  M.  Dupont 
at  the  table,  with  a  fresh  glass  in  his  hand,  and  some  re 
mains  of  the  dessert  in  a  plate  before  him. 

"I  drink,"  said  M.  Dupont,  "to  that  America  which  our 
Lafayette  loved  and  served."  And  we  honored  the  toast 
in  fine  style,  although  Hez  insisted  upon  replying  to  it  on 
the  ground  that  he  once  knew  a  Gideon  Lafayette,  a 
farmer  in  Hillsboro'  County,  New  Hampshire,  who  had 
the  Grossest  bull  of  any  man  in  those  parts;  and  then  the 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  317 

wretched  Hopeful  proceeded  to  tell  several  stories  of  the 
bull ;  certain  bad  boys  who  provoked  him  to  desperation, 
until  the  great  Lafayette  would  be  awakened  by  the  noise 
and  rush  out  of  his  house  to  stop  the  strife. 

At  last  Hez  concluded.  The  Frenchmen,  who  did  not 
understand  a  word  that  was  said,  sat  and  listened  with  a 
gravity  that  promised  well  in  the  way  of  courtesy,  if  not 
comprehension.  If  they  did  not  understand  a  word  of  the 
English  language,  at  least  they  tried  to,  and  that  is  saying 
much  when  a  fellow  is  boring  you  with  tales  of  a  crosa 
bull. 

"Hez,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  he  had  concluded,  "  the  La 
fayette  whom  you  mean  and  the  Lafayette  whom  the  gen 
tlemen  mean  are  not  one  and  the  same  person." 

"  Wai,"  that  genius  replied,  "  'tain't  my  fault  if  they 
ain't— is  it?" 

No  answer  was  returned  to  the  question,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  an  answer  was  impossible.  Who  could  argue 
with  Hopeful,  after  he  had  made  up  his  mind  ? 

"My  child,"  said  Farcnti,  as  soon  as  Hez  had  concluded, 
"  what  business  hast  thou  on  hand  which  requires  thy 
attention  ?  I  know  that  something  is  up,  and  I  am  curi 
ous  in  such  matters." 

"  Thou  art  a  war-horse,  and  snuffest  the  battle  from 
afar.  There  is  work  for  thee  and  for  me,  and  no  time 
must  be  lost  in  preparing  for  our  mission." 

"Explain,"  cried  Farenti,  as  he  filled  his  glass. 

"Before  these  gentlemen?     Can  I  do  so?" 

"They  are  as  true  as  Frenchmen,  and  I  answer  for 
them,"  replied  Farenti. 

"Enough  ;  I  am  convinced.  Listen  to  me,  for  what  I 
have  to  say  is  worth  your  attention.  To-day  the  prefect 
sends  for  me.  He  compliments  your  friend,  and  then  he 
compliments  my  friend  Farenti.  I  tell  him  that  Farenti 
is  worthy  of  his  regards,  and  that  few  can  equal  him  in 
courage  or  endurance.  Ah,  you  see  that  I  never  forget 
you — never;  we  Kave  been  friends  too  long  for  that." 

Here  the  two  detectives,  overcome  with  friendship,  en- 


318        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

thus! asm,  and  a  little  heated  by  wine,  arose  and  eni« 
braced. 

"  Gol  darn  their  picters,  if  they  ain't  kissin'  each  other," 

eried  Hez,  with  such  an  expression  of  disgust  on  his  face 

oh  at  I  nearly  laughed  outright.    "  I  can  kiss  a  woman,  but 

'11  be  darned  if  I  can  kiss  a  man.     It  would  make  me 

ick.     I'll  be  darned  if  it  wouldn't,  now  I  tell  yer." 

We  were  ready  to  take  his  word  for  it,  well  knowing  hid 
feelings. 

The  Frenchmen,  after  their  embrace,  emptied  their 
wine-glasses  to  each  other's  health,  and  then  to  our  own. 

"Now,  Dupont,  thou  must  tell  the  remainder  of  thy 
story.  What  said  the  prefect?" 

"  lie  told  me  that  to-night  there  would  be  another  party 
at  the  hotel  of  the  Countess  de  Lorenzo." 

"  Again  ?  " 

"  Again,  my  friend." 

"  Sure  ?  Why,  it  was  but  a  few  nights  since  the  count 
ess  gave  a  party." 

"  Yes,  and  but  few  ladies  were  present." 

"  It  is  true." 

"  The  countess  and  her  two  lady  friends." 

" I  have  seen  them.     They  dress  like  the  demi-monde" 

"  All,  thou  hast  noticed  them.    It  is  well.    Now  listen." 

"  I  am  all  attention." 

"  The  prefect  instructs  me  to  be  present  at  the  party." 

u  Ah,  he  suspects  the  countess  —  does  he  ?  " 

"  You  shall  see." 

"  Tell  me  more." 

"  '  Let  Farenti  go  with  you,'  the  prefect  said. 

«  He   said  that  — did  he?" 

"  Yes,  or  I  would  not  be  here." 

"True.     Tell  me  some  more." 

'"Go  to  the  party  to-night,'  said  the  prefect,  'and  take 
Farenti  with  you.  Your  eyes  are  sharp,  and  you  will  see 
what  is  going  on.  Your  ears  are  open,  you  will  hear  what 
is  said.' " 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  319 

"Jtfbrbleau,  I  should  think  so.  Did  we  ever  fail  the 
prefect  in  such  cases  ?  " 

"  I  think  not.     But  listen." 

"  Go  on." 

" '  You  will  mix  with  the  crowd,'  said  the  prefect.  '  Here 
are  tickets  for  your  admission  to  the  hotel.  Don  t  be  the 
first  to  arrive,  and  don't  go  together.'  " 

"  He  need  not  have  given  us  such  advice  as  that,  •— •  th& 
I  refect." 

"  No,  bit  the  prefect  is  particular." 

"True,     Go  on." 

"'When  once  in  the  hotel,  cast  your  eyes  about  you.'" 

"  As  though  we  would  not." 

" 4  Drink  but  little,  and  partake  sparingly  of  the  refresh 
ments.'  " 

"  Who  would  eat  after  such  a  dinner  as  this  ?  " 

"True.     But  listen." 

"  I  am  all  attention.     Faith,  the  prefect  is  particular." 

"  He  is,  as  you  see.  '  Note,'  he  says,  *  all  those  pres 
ent.'" 

«  Of  course." 

" 4  Watch  the  countess,  and  see  where  she  places  herself, 
and  what  she  does  when  high  play  commences.'" 

"Ah,  that  is  it  —  is  it?" 

« It  is." 

*'  The  prefect  suspects  the  countess  —  does  he?" 

"  Yes ;  for  a  young  friend  of  the  emperor  has  been 
bled  at  the  hotel,  and  his  majesty  now  thinks  it  time  to 
flop  it." 

"  lie  is  in  earnest." 

"Never  more  so.  We  must  watch  the  play,  and  seo 
\\here  the  cheating  is,  and  then  make  our  arrest." 

"What,  the  countess?" 

"Of  course,  and  those  who  are  confederates.  The  em 
peror's  friend  has  lost  much  money,  and  it  i  i  desirable  to 
gee  where  it  has  gone  to." 

"Do  I  know  the  young  gentleman?" 

"  Of  course." 


320       THE  GOLD  HUNTEES  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"His  name  is — " 

Dupont  looked  at  us. 

"They  are  honest,  my  child.    Do  not  fear,"  said  Fa 
roiiti. 

"The  name  of  the  young  gambler  is  Prince  M ." 

"Hien,  I  suspected  it.  What  is  to  be  done  with 
him?" 

"Nothing.  He  is  to  go.  The  emperor  will  attend  to 
Lira  after  we  have  attended  to  the  countess." 

"  Well,  I  am  ready  for  the  job.  We  shall  give  a  good 
accvwnt  of  ourselves,  I  have  no  doubt;  and  now,  bon 
Americanos,  what  will  you  do  this  evening?" 

"  Faith,"  said  Dupont,  with  a  laugh,  "why  can't  the  two 
who  speak  French  like  a  Parisian  go  with  us  and  take  a 
look  at  the  countess?" 

"An  excellent  idea.  Will  you  go?"  demanded  Fa- 
renti. 

For  a  moment  we  took  counsel  with  our  friends,  and 
they  insisted  that  we  should  go,  just  to  see  a  little  of  the 
high,  dissolute  life  of  Paris.  They  wanted  a  little  rest,  and 
were  willing  to  remain  at  our  rooms  and  sleep  all  night, 
so  as  to  be  prepared  for  the  theatre  on  the  following 
evening. 

"We  will  go,"  we  said,  "but  we  have  no  cards  of  invi 
tation." 

"  Don't  fear  on  that  account.  We  can  obtain  as  many 
cards  as  we  please."  And  so  we  planned  to  go  to  the 
hotel  of  the  countess,  and  see  what  means  she  adopted  to 
fleece  strangers  and  young  Frenchmen,  or  whoever  fell 
into  her  net,  which  was  a  large  one. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  321 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  INTERIOR  OF  A  FRENCH  HOTEL.  —  HOTV  A  COUNTESS 
CAN  PLOT  AND  PLAN  TO  BOB  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  MONEY, 
AN  INTERRUPTION. 

AFTER  we  had  dined,  we  left  the  Three  Friends,  and 
spent  a  short  time  in  the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries,  and  at 
nine  o'clock  we  were  at  our  rooms  dressing  for  the  party 
which  the  Countess  de  Lorenzo  was  to  give  at  her  splendid 
hotel,  situated  near  the  Place  de  Concorde.  Dupont  and 
Farenti  had  promised  to  call  for  us  when  they  were  ready; 
so  we  dressed  and  waited  until  such  time  as  they  ch-ose  to 
appear. 

It  was  past  ten  o'clock  when  two  cabs  stopped  in  front 
of  our  lodgings,  and  the  porter's  wife  escorted  the  two 
detectives  to  our  rooms. 

At  first  we  did  not  recognize  them.  The  officers  had 
left  us  young  men,  about  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  and 
they  came  to  us  looking  all  of  fifty.  Their  hair  wag 
sprinkled  with  gray,  their  skin  was  wrinkled,  and  age  had 
settled  near  their  eyes.  But  their  clothes  were  of  the 
most  fashionable  cut,  the  finest  material,  and  their  linen 
glistened  as  though  it  had  come  fresh  from  the  hands  of 
an  artist.  Each  of  the  officers  wore  magnificent  diamond 
pins,  single  stones,  which  could  not  fail  to  attract  atten 
tion  ;  but  no  other  jewelry  could  be  seen  on  their  persona, 

We  had  ordered  in  coffee  and  cigars,  and  then,  with 
Murden's  and  Hopeful's  best  wishes,  we  were  off,  Farenti 
and  I  in  one  cab,  and  Dupont  and  Fred  in  the  other,  so 
that  we  should  not  arrive  together. 

"Tell  me,"  I  said,  as  we  rode  along:  "do  you  feel  the 
least  nervous  on  account  of  the  adventure  before  you?'1 

"  Feel  my  pulse.     Does  it  beat  rapidly  ?  " 

"  No  ;  it  is  as  calm  as  my  own." 

"Hien,  I  supposed  so.  There  is  but  little  dangei  to 
21 


B22        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUKOPE,  OB 

encounter  to-night.  It  is  only  a  question  of  wits.  I  should 
prefer  other  service  ;  but  a  Frenchman  in  detective  service 
must  go  where  he  is  sent." 

"  You   have  encountered   more   dangerous   adversaries 

O 

than  a  gambling  countess?" 

"  Ah,  have  I  not  ?  I  was  near  the  emperor  when  the 
Italian  conspiracy  was  consummated,  arid  came  near  being 
a  victim.  I  made  two  arrests  that  night,  and  desperate 
men  they  were,  half  maddened  at  the  thought  of  failure." 

"  And  the  night  of  the  explosion  was  the  first  news  that 
you  had  of  the  conspiracy  ?" 

"  The  devil !  no.  A  hundred  times  no.  I  was  one  of 
those  who  had  followed  Orsini's  track  from  the  time  he 
entered  France.  Sometimes  I  was  in  one  disguise,  and 
sometimes  in  another.  I  had  urged  that  he  be  arrested  a 
few  hours  before  the  explosion.  But  no.  The  prefect 
said  that  the  plot  was  not  ripe.  I  knew  that  it  was  ready 
to  burst,  and  said  so.  But  I  was  told  to  wait.  I  did  wait, 
and  the  emperor  nearly  lost  his  life.  But  the  conspirators 
lost  their  lives  and  the  prefect  his  place." 

"And  what  reward  did  you  receive?"  I  asked. 

The  detective  pointed  to  a  ribbon  it*  the  button-hole 
Df  his  coat.  It  represented  the  badge  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor,  so  much  coveted  by  all  Frenchmen. 

"  The  emperor  gave  me  this  with  his  own  hands.  Mon 
Dieu!  but  it  was  the  happiest  day  of  my  life  when  he 
placed  it  on  my  coat.  He,  spoke  to  me,  too,  and  uttered 
woids  of  praise  for  what  I  had  done;  and  then  I  told  the 
emperor  that  it  was  not  my  fault  that  the  plot  of  the 
miserables  nearly  succeeded." 

"  And  what  did  he  say  to  that  ?  " 

"He  told  me  that  he  knew  it.  Ah,  the  emperor  knows 
everything.  Can  you  blame  me  for  loving  him,  when  ho 
is  so  generous  to  reward  and  so  prompt  to  punish?  He 
has  made  France  and  Paris  the  first  in  the  world.  He  is 
a  great  man." 

I  was  not  disposed  to  dispute  the  assertion,  for  before 
my  eyes  was  evidence  of  the  emperor's  greatness.  Whole 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  323 

streets  had  been  made  out  of  narrow  alleys.  Palaces  had 
gone  up  where  hotels  formerly  stood.  Trees  and  gardens, 
fountains  and  vases,  statues  and  flowers,  now  existed  where 
formerly  there  were  waste  places.  No  wonder  Paris  was 
called  the  finest  city  in  the  world.  It  deserved  the  title, 
for  evidence  of  beauty  and  refinement  was  seen  on  all 
sides.  All  that  was  vulgar,  coarse,  or  immoral  were  kept 
out  of  sight,  or  else  seen  only  by  gas-light. 

After  half  an  hour's  drive,  we  stopped  and  alighted  in 
front  of  a  large  house,  the  residence  of  the  Countess  de 
Lorenzo. 

My  companion  dismissed  the  carriage,  and  then  the 
doors  of  the  hotel  were  thrown  open  by  a  man  in  livery, 
and  we  entered  the  house,  merely  handing  the  servant  our 
cards  of  invitation ;  but  I  noticed  that  he  did  not  glance 
at  the  names  which  they  bore,  apparently  satisfied  that  we 
were  regularly  invited. 

"We  passed  up  a  flight  of  broad  stairs,  and  were  ushered 
into  a  room,  where  we  laid  aside  our  hats  and  arranged  our 
toilets  before  being  presented  to  our  hostess  of  the  evening. 

A  dozen  gentlemen  were  in  the  apartment  when  wo 
entered.  They  were  all  young,  and  bore  the  marks  of 
Paris  life  upon  their  faces.  Late  hours  and  dissipation 
were  telling  on  them,  as  it  does  on  every  one  who  is  so 
foolish  as  to  seek  for  pleasure  at  the  expense  of  health. 

Every  one  in  the  room  nodded  to  us,  although  there 
was  not  a  single  person  present,  except  the  detective, 
whom  I  recognized.  The  company  supposed  that  we 
were  of  the  same  social  rank  as  themselves,  and  so  exer 
cised  the  usual  courtesy  of  Frenchmen. 

One  man,  whom  I  heard  addressed  as  marquis,  spoke  to 
me,  and  knew  at  once  that  I  was  a  foreigner. 

"  You  are  not  an  Englishman  ?"  he  asked,  with  a  polite 
bow  and  a  smile,  as  he  offered  his  snuff-box. 

"No;  an  American." 

"  Ah,  mon  Dieu,  I  am  glad  of  that.  I  like  the  Americans 
and  hate  the  English.  They  killed  our  emperor,  but 
uever  defeated  him.  No,  sir." 


324        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

I  bowed  and  murmured  something  about  the  emj  eror'a 
being  a  great  man,  and  the  greatest  general  that  ever  lived ; 
and  just  then  Fred  and  Dupont  arrived;  but  according 
to  agreement,  we  did  not  speak,  although  we  exchanged 
signals,  and  then  passed  through  to  the  drawing-rooms, 
where  the  countess  was  arrayed  in  all  the  pride  of  an 
elegant  toilet,  to  receive  her  guests,  and  bestow  a  smile 
upon  each  one  as  he  passed  before  her. 

It  was  a  little  singular,  but  the  countess  was  the  onl)"  lady 
present  in  her  large  rooms;  and  I  noticed  that  none  of  tho 
gentlemen  brought  ladies  with  them,  and  they  did  net  act 
as  though  they  expected  to  meet  the  opposite  sex,  or  were 
disappointed  in  seeing  only  the  countess. 

I  imitated  the  rest  of  the  company,  and,  without  wait 
ing  for  the  formality  of  an  introduction,  pressed  forward 
and  presented  myself.  The  countess  looked  sharp  at  me 
as  she  extended  her  little  hand,  exquisitely  gloved,  with 
heavy  bracelets  on  each  arm. 

*'Ah,"  she  said,  "I've  seen  your  face  before  —  have  I 
not?" 

"  I  should  have  been  unfortunate  not  to  have  seen  yours 
before  to-night,"  was  my  reply,  and  pressed  to  my  lips  the 
little  hand. 

She  looked  pleased,  although  she  did  tap  me  on  the  arm 
with  her  fan,  as  a  punishment  for  my  flattery. 

"  You  are  welcome,  monsieur.  I  am  pleased  to  see  you 
at  my  house ;  you  must  come  often."  And  then  I  was  dis 
missed  with  a  bow,  so  that  the  next  person  could  haA  e  a 
chance  to  pay  his  compliments. 

I  saw  Fred  and  the  two  detectives  pass  under  the  ob 
servation  of  the  countess,  and  I  noticed  that  the  lady 
looked  long  and  earnestly  at  the  two  officers,  as  though 
she  had  seen  their  faces  before,  and  was  trying  to  recall 
the  time  and  place  of  meeting.  But  they  were  so  well 
disguised  that  the  lady  was  baffled  in  her  endeavors  to  re 
call  their  features ;  and  so,  after  a  few  words,  Dupont  and 
Fareuti  were  taking  snuff  with  the  gentlemen  present,  and 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  325 

listening  with  much  attention  to  the  political  talk  of  those 
who  would  discuss  politics. 

Presently  there  was  a  sensation  caused  try  a  new  arri 
val.  It  was  the  important  personage  whom  the  detectives 
were  to  look  after  and  see  how  he  lost  his  money. 

"Ah,  mon  prince!"  exclaimed  the  countess,  advancing 
a  few  steps  to  meet  the  new  comer,  "I  feared  that  you 
fcere  not  to  honor  us  with  your  presence  to-night." 

"  The  emperor  detained  me  later  than  usual,"  was  the 
reply.  "I  dined  with  his  majesty,  and  then  went  with 
him  to  the  opera.  But  I  stole  away  as  quickly  as  possible, 
and  feel  rejoiced  that  I  am  once  more  in  the  presence  of 
BO  fair  a  lady  as  the  Countess  de  Lorenzo." 

"  Who  is  the  prince  ?  "  I  asked  of  Farenti,  in  a  whisper. 

"  Prince  M ,  the  grandson  of  the  once  king  of  Na 
ples." 

Here  was  an  historical  character,  and  I  lost  no  time  in 
taking  a  good  look  at  him,  for  I  had  a  great  admiration 
for  his  grandfather,  the  greatest  cavalry  leader  that  ever 
lived. 

The  grandson  was  a  good-looking  Frenchman,  careless, 
dissipated,  and  did  not  come  up  to  my  ideas  of  a  man  who 
bore  a  great  name.  He  was  not  one  who  would  have 
workod  his  way  from  a  stable  to  a  throne,  and  charged  an 
enemy,  armed  with  but  a  riding-whip. 

"  ( 'oine,"  cried  the  prince,  "  let  us  get  to  work.  I  long 
for  n»y  revenge.  I  lost  so  heavily  the  other  night,  that  I 
am  entitled  to  it." 

">ie,  prince,"  cried  the  countess,  in  a  tone  that  was  in 
tended  to  be  languishing  and  seductive;  "you  have  but 
just  arrived,  and  yet  you  would  quit  me  for  those  horrid 
carcK  I  did  not  think  it  of  you." 

"  'Chen  sit  beside  me,  and  woo  luck  with  your  smile.  I 
am  lure  the  goddess  could  not  resist  it." 

"  t  consent,  for  your  sake,"  was  the  reply. 

And  then  I  thought  that  I  saw  the  countess  exchange  a 
quick  glance  with  one  of  her  guests.  It  looked  to  me  like 
an  expression  of  triumph,  and  I  turned  to  the  two  deteo 


S26        THE  GOLD  HUXTEKS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

lives  to  see  if  they  noticed  it.  It  seemed  not,  for  they  were 
discussing  some  great  question  that  was  before  the  Insti 
tute  at  the  time,  with  two  oily  Frenchmen,  who  wore  bits 
of  ribbon  in  their  button-holes. 

The  countess  touched  a  bell,  and  bervants  brought  in 
card-tables.  The  scene  of  the  evening  wag  about  to  com 
mence.  All  the  amusement  of  the  party  was  to  be  con 
centrated  on  the  gambling  operations  of  the  gentlemen 
who  were  present.  ^ 

Cards  were  produced,  and  down  some  of  the  people  sat, 
and  undertook  various  games.  The  prince  and  three  gen 
tlemen,  taking  seats  at  a  table,  commenced  what  I  supposed 
to  be  whist.  The  countess,  with  a  smile  of  the  most  killing 
sweetness,  assumed  a  position  by  the  side  of  the  prince, 
and  tapped  him  on  the  head,  fiice,  and  hands  with  her  fan, 
when  she  felt  so  inclined. 

"Monsieur,"  said  a  soft  voice  in  my  ear,  "  will  you  honor 
us  by  taking  a  seat  at  our  table  ?  We  shall  play  for  but 
low  stakes." 

Turning,  I  saw  Dupont.  lie  had  managed  to  get  Fred 
and  Farcnti  at  the  same  table,  and  wanted  me  to  make  up 
the  party. 

His  object  was  simply  to  make  a  show  of  playing  and 
betting,  so  that  sharp  eyes  could  be  kept  upon  the  move 
ments  of  the  countess;  for  the  table  at  which  they  pro 
posed  to  play  was  within  a  few  yards  of  the  prince. 

I  accepted  the  proposition,  and  was  introduced  in  due 
form  to  Fred  by  the  Frenchman.  Then  we  chose  partners 
and  commenced  whist,  at  small  sums  for  stakes.  No  one 
seemed  to  care  for  us,  and  that  was  just  what  we  liked,  for 
our  detective  friends  were  inclined  to  devote  their  whole 
attention  to  the  countess  and  her  illustrious  visitor,  by 
whose  side  she  sat,  and  into  whose  hand  she  glanced  lo 
see  what  cards  he  held. 

The  whole  thing  was  revealed  to  me  at  a  glance,  inexperi 
enced  as  I  was  in  detective  business.  I  saw  that  the  count 
ess  was  in  league  with  three  of  the  men  who  were  seated 
at  he.  table,  and  that  those  three  men  had  combined  to 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  327 

fleece  the  prince.     It  didn't  require  a  uch  talent  to  dis 
cover  that,  I  thought. 

But  for  all  that,  I  watched  the  countess  in  such  a  man 
ner  that  she  would  not  notice  rne,  or  know  what  I  was 
about,  and  I  saw  her  tricks  at  once.  She  had  signs  to 
her  confederates,  and  could  telegraph  to  them  how  to 
play  so  that  they  could  win  or  lose,  just  according  to  the 
money  that  was  at  stake. 

And  all  this  was  done  by  so  simple  a  method  that  I 
was  lost"  in  admiration  of  the  skill  and  audacity  of  the 
woman.  I  did  not  understand  her  telegraphing,  until  one 
of  the  detectives  let  me  into  the  secret  by  a  word.  As  he 
dealt  the  cards  and  noticed  my  looks,  he  had  said,  with  a 
smile,  in  reply  to  a  look  of  interrogation, — 

«  The  fan." 

"  The  fan,"  I  muttered  ;  and  then  the  scales  fell,  and  tho 
countess  and  her  arts  were  revealed. 

With  a  wave  of  her  fan  she  could  show  what  cards  the 
prince  held.  With  a  tap  of  her  fan  she  indicated  what 
cards,  the  opponents  of  the  prince  should  lead,  and  when 
she  opened  her  fan  or  flirted  it,  signals  were  made  which 
her  friends  understood,  to  the  infinite  injury  of  the  prince's 
pockets. 

The  play  grew  interesting,  and  the  stakes  heavy.  The 
prince  doubled  his  bets  and  lost,  and  he  continued  to  lose 
until  the  countess  announced,  in  reluctant  words,  that  sup 
per  was  ready,  and  that  gambling  must  be  suspended  for  a 
while  for  the  sake  of  eating. 

All  arose  at  once,  and  went  to  the  apartment  whera 
supper  was  served.  The  wines  were  abundant,  and  the 
viands  rich  and  rare.  The  hostess  was  unremittent  in  her 
attentions  to  her  guests,  and  more  than  once  she  filled  tho 
prince's  wine-glass  and  made  him  pledge  her  in  bumpers. 
The  liquor  restored  the  prince  to  his  good  humor. 

" Mon  Dieu"  he  said,  "  I  hope  the  wine  and  the  supper 
will  give  me  better  luck  than  I  have  had." 

"Ah,  mon  prince,  have  you  lost  to-night?"  asked  one 
of  the  guests. 


828        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUKOPE,  OB 

"  As  usual,  yes." 

"  Fortune  is  against  you." 

"  Yes,  but  the  countess  still  smiles  on  me." 

"  That  is  fortune  itself,"  replied  one  bald-headed  French- 
man,  with  a  face  that  looked  sensual  enough  for  a  stock  in 
trade  of  vice.  "  I  would  be  willing  to  lose  if  she  would 
smile  on  me." 

"  Tres  lien  ;  then  we  will  exchange  places,  laughed  the 
prince;  and  some  of  the  company  joined  in  the  mirth;  but 
the  Isdy  tapped  the  prince  with  her  fan  and  called  him 
an  Migrate,  which  he  received  with  much  composure,  as 
though  the  reflection  did  not  harm  him. 

Supper  was  soon  over,  for  the  company  were  impatient 
to  return  to  their  play.  They  had  come  to  the  house  to 
gamble,  and  they  meant  to  do  their  work  in  a  thorough 
manner. 

Once  more  we  sat  down  to  the  cards.  The  prince  was 
flushed  with  wine,  while  the  countess  and  his  opponents 
were  cool  and  collected,  as  though  they  knew  how  much 
depended  on  their  understanding  all  the  signs  that  the 
lady  made.  We  watched  the  parties  with  but  little  fear 
of  detection.  They  were  too  absorbed  in  matters  that 
transpired  at  their  own  table  to  notice  us. 

Suddenly  the  prince  threw  down  a  handful  of  bills. 

"  One  hundred  thousand  francs  on  this  game,"  he  cried. 
w  If  I  win,  I  recover  all  my  losses ;  if  I  lose,  I  play  no 
more." 

The  countess  looked  at  his  cards,  and  her  face  grew 
white  with  suppressed  emotion,  as  she  raised  her  fan. 

Tap,  tap,  tap.  She  struck  him  three  blows  on  the 
shoulder.  They  were  light  blows,  and  would  not  have 
hurt  a  fly.  Then  she  waved  her  fan  in  the  form  of  a  cres 
cent,  and  again  in  the  shape  of  a  cross.  Not  until  she  had 
made  tncse  signs  did  she  deign  to  speak. 

"  Fie,  mon  prince,"  she  said  ;  "I  fear  that  you  are  gam 
bling.  Take  back  one  half  the  stake,  I  beg  of  you." 

"The  whole  or  none,"  was  the  reply. 

Tap,  tap,  tap,  went  the  fan,  and  the  eyes  of  her  conspir* 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  329 

ators  followed  every  movement,  for  there  was  toe  much 
at  stake  to  allow  of  trifling.  The  detectives  lockjd  on 
with  the  calmness  of  martyrs.  Not  a  movement  escaped 
Jheir  eyes,  or  showed  that  they  were  interested  in  what 
was  going  on. 

"You  won't  cover  the  prince's  money?"  cried  the 
countess,  in  an  imploring  tone,  to  the  men  with  whom  he 
"was  playing.  "  He  is  mad,  and  must  not  stake  so  much." 

"  The  money  is  the  property  of  the  prince.  Mon  J)ieut 
if  he  is  disposed  to  risk  it  he  should  be  humored.  We  are 
willing  to  meet  him,"  was  the  reply. 

"  I  ask  nothing  better,"  cried  the  prince.     "  Put  down  a 

Bum  equal  to  my  own.     Let  us  make  or  break  each  other." 

The  conspirators  watched  the  movements  of  the  lady's 

fan.     She  was   telling  them  every  card  that  the  prince 

held,  just  as  plainly  as  if  they  could  see  his  hand. 

We  looked  on  and  awaited  the  result  with  some  anx 
iety. 

Two  hundred  thousand  francs  were  placed  on  the  table, 
and  the  game  began. 

Parties  at  the  other  tables  stopped  their  games  and 
crowded  around  the  prince.  The  stakes  were  so  high  that 
every  one  was  interested. 

The  two  detectives  kept  their  seats  and  looked  on. 
"  Has  the  prince  a  chance  for  his  money  ?  "  I  whispered. 
"Not  the  slightest,"  was  the  reply.    "You  shall  see  in  a 
moment.     Have  patience." 

It  was  all  very  well  to  ask  us  to  have  patience;  but  we 
could  not  bear  to  see  a  gentleman  cheated  of  his  money  in 
the  manner  in  which  he  was  being  cheated  by  an  artful 
woman  and  three  designing  men.  We  were  in  favor  of 
instant  action,  but  the  French  detectives  did  not  think 
that  the  time  had  arrived  for  such  a  course. 

We  saw  the  cards  played,  and  then  there  was  an  excla 
mation,  for  the  prince  had  lost,  just  as  the  officers  said  he 
would. 
The  conspirators  uttered   sighs  "of  relief  at   ti«  turn 


330        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IK  EUROPE,  OR 

which  affairs  had  taken,  and  the  countess  showed  by  hef 
looks  how  pleased  she  was  at  the  result. 

Still  the  detectives  did  not  move.  They  waited  until 
the  prince  had  started  from  his  seat,  dashed  down  his  cards, 
and  uttered  several  exclamations  at  his  ill  fortune. 

"The  devil,"  tne  prince  said.  "Was  there  ever  such 
frightful  luck  ?  Two  hundred  thousand  francs  gone  in  a 
week's  time.  Mon  Dieu,  it  is  enough  to  make  even  a 
Frenchman  swear  in  the  presence  of  ladies." 

The  countess  motioned  to  her  confederates  to  take  tho 
money,  and  they  were  about  to  do  so,  when  Fareuti  and 
Dupont  arose  to  their  feet,  and  said,  7 — 

"Let  the  money  remain,  monsieurs,  if  you  please." 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

DEATH  IN  THE   MIDST   OF    LIFE. AN   ASTONISHED    GROUP. 

GRUMBLING     COMPANIONS.  AN      INTERVIEW     WITH 

MISS     JOSIE. 

IF  one  of  Orsini's  hand  grenades  had  been  thrown  into 
the  apartment  and  exploded,  I  don't  think  that  there 
could  have  been  greater  astonishment  manifested  than 
when  the  two  detectives  stood  up,  and,  in  a  quiet  tone, 
requested  the  plunderers  of  the  prince  to  let  the  monoy 
remain  on  the  table. 

The  attention  of  every  one  in  the  room  was  attracted  to 
the  detectives,  and  I  think  that  even  the  countess  began 
to  suspect  that  she  had  more  among  her  guests  than  shd 
bad  bargained  for ;  as  she  turned  deathly  pale,  and  had 
to  clutch  the  table  to  support  her  trembling  form. 

"  Messieurs,"  said  the  gamblers,  with  looks  of  astonish- 
ment,  "why  do  you  311  us  to  let  alone  that  which  belongs 
to  us?" 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  331 

"Because,"  replied  Dupont,  "you  have  won  the  nuraey 
from  the  prince  by  cheating." 

"Cheating!"  was  the  general  exclamation;  and  the 
countess  trembled  worse  than  ever. 

"Do  you  know  what  you  are  saying?"  asked  the  prince. 
"  Take  care.  These  are  all  Frenchmen,  and  men  ol  honor. 
They  are  my  friends." 

"Friends  do  not  usually  swindle  one  out  of  two  hun 
dred  thousand  francs,"  was  the  detective's  reply. 

"Who  are  you  that  speak  thus?"  demanded  the  prince. 

The  detectives  turned  back  the  collars  of  their  vests, 
and  there  was  revealed  the  emblems  of  their  authority. 
All  looked  and  all  shuddered.  The  countess  gave  a  little 
shriek,  and  sank  into  a  chair,  putting  her  hands,  white  and 
well  decorated  with  diamonds,  to  her  eyes. 

"Prince,"  said  Dupont,  "  you  have  been  most  shamefully 
cheated  every  night  that  you  have  played  cards  in  this 
house." 

"I  have  discovered  nothing,  and  I  am  not  a  man  that  is 
easily  deceived,"  was  the  haughty  reply. 

"Perhaps  not;  yet  you  have  been  cheated  by  a  band  of 
sharpers,  with  the  countess  at  the  head.  You  had  no  show 
for  your  money  as  long  as  she  was  at  your  side." 

C1  How !  Is  it  possible,  madame,  that  you  would  stoop 
to  such  meanness?"  demanded  the  prince,  in  a  stern 
tone. 

"No;  the  charge  is  false,"  the  woman  replied.  "The 
play  was  fair." 

"Be  careful  wliat  you  say,"  replied  Dupont.  "  We  know 
y)u.» 

The  countess  once  more  covered  her  face  with  her  hands, 
and  I  saw  that  she  trembled.  I  began  to  pity  her,  for 
she  was  handsome,  and  it  is  natural  for  a  man  to  pity  a 
handsome  woman. 

"Prince,"  said  Farcnti,  "take  up  your  hundred  thousand 
fran.  3.  They  belong  to  you." 

"  I  have  lost  them  to  those  who  played  with  me,"  was 
the  reply. 


832  THE   GOLD   HUNTERS   IN  EUROPE     OB 

"You  were  cheated.  Take  your  money  ind  then  we 
shall  see  if  the  rest  cannot  be  returned." 

The  gamblers  who  had  won  the  prince's  mcney  began 
to  move  uneasily  in  their  seats.  The  countjss  suffered  a 
Bob  to  escape  lu?r. 

"  I  cannot  take  money  which  has  been  won  from  me," 
the  prince  said ;  and  at  this  the  faces  of  the  gamblers 
brightened. 

"  Then  listen,  and  see  if  the  parties  who  have  plundered 
you,  mon  prince,  are  worthy  of  your  generosity." 

The  countess  looked  up  with  a  glance  that  was  beseech 
ing.  The  detectives  took  no  notice  of  it,  but  went  on. 

"  This  woman  "  —  and  the  officer  pointed  to  the  countess 
—  "has  long  been  known  to  us.  She  came  from  the  prov 
inces  to  Paris  ten  years  ago.  For  two  years  she  was  the 
mistress  of  the  Marquis  de  Tocqueville.  Then  he  married, 
and  found  a  place  for  her  on  the  stage  at  the  Frari9ois. 
She  was  in  the  ballet,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
Count  Lovinski,  a  Pole.  With  him  she  left  Paris,  and  the 
next  that  the  secret  police  hear  of  her,  she  is  in  the  employ 
of  a  Russian  princess.  One  day  her  highness,  the  prin 
cess,  loses  a  set  of  diamonds,  and  they  are  found  on  the 
person  of  the  Count  Lovinski,  just  as  he  is  attempting  to 
sell  them  to  a  pawnbroker.  The  count,  in  the  most  un- 
gallant  manner,  swears  that  madame  gave  them  to  him, 
and  that  he  knows  nothing  more  about  them." 

"The  mean,  cowardly  dog  of  Poland,"  hissed  the  count 
ess  when  the  detective  reached  this  part  of  the  narrative. 

"As  madarae  pleases,"  Farenti  said,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders.  "  He  was  a  vile  dog,  I  have  no  doubt,  an  1  he 
received  his  pay  for  some  of  his  vileness.  He  is  now  at 
Toulon,  and  will  remain  there  for  ten  years  to  come,  a 
galley  slave,  with  a  black  mark  against  his  name.  Ma  foil 
he  is  not  much  to  be  envied,  for  they  lead  no  idle  life  at 
Toulon." 

"  Curses  on  him ;  I  hope  they  will  work  him  to  death," 
cried  the  countess^  with  a  look  that  showed  she  had  an 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  333 

immense  amount  of  bitterness  and  ill-feeling  at  her  heart 
towards  the  adventurer  who  had  betrayed  her. 

Dupont  waited  until  the  burst  of  passion  had  subsided, 
and  then  he  continued  his  revelations. 

"Madame  will  recollect  that  she  was  arrested  for  tho 
abstraction  .of  the  diamonds,  but  that  she  was  acquitted  of 
the  charge  through  some  influence  which  it  is  not  neces- 
eary  to  allude  to  here.  Since  that  period  madame  has 
lived  in  Paris,  and  supported  herself  by  entrapping  rich 
men.  As  long  as  she  confined  herself  to  people  of  little 
account,  the  police  did  not  interfere ;  but  when  she  struck 
for  such  game  as  a  prince,  the  prefect  opened  his  eyes,  and 
the  result  is  now  before  us.  Madame  will  please  give  up 
the  two  hundred  thousand  francs  which  were  lost  in  this 
house  within  two  weeks." 

The  prince  began  to  pick  up  the  money,  which  was  still 
lying  on  the  table,  and  truly  he  rather  appeared  to  like 
the  idea  of  getting  it  back. 

"  The  money  is  gone ;  I  have  none  of  it,"  said  the  count 
ess,  who  uttered  a  deep  sigh  as  she  saw  the  prince  put  the 
bank  notes  in  his  pocket-book. 

"It  must  find  wings  and  come  back,  and  quite  soon, 
too,"  was  the  detective's  answer,  so  quiet  that  not  a  show 
of  temper  could  be  noticed. 

"  It  is  impossible.  The  money  is  spent.  Part  has  gone 
for  the  supper  to-night." 

"Madame  shall  be  paid  for  her  supper,  but  the  money 
must  be  produced." 

The  countess  bit  her  lips  and  folded  her  arms.  She  had 
made  up  her  mind  what  to  do,  and  was  determined. 

Farenti  stepped  to  a  window,  threw  it  up,  and  whistled. 
From  the  dark  shadows  of  half  a  dozen  trees,  figures  of 
men  in  uniforms  stepped  out  and  came  towards  the  hotel 
The  front  door  was  opened,  in  obedience  to  a  signal,  and 
into  the  drawing-room  came  a  squad  of  gendarmes,  quiet 
and  respectful,  yet  resolute,  as  men  who  knew  their  duty. 

Dupont  pointed  to  the  countess  and  the  three  men  who 
had  sat  at  the  same  table  with  the  prince. 


934       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"  Arrest  them,"  he  said. 

The  police  moved  forward  and  laid  their  hands  on  the 
shoulders  of  the  three  men.  The  countess  waved  them  off. 

"Do  not  touch  me,"  she  said.  "I  don't  want  to  be  pol 
luted  with  the  hands  of  a  common  thief-taker.  Mon 
Dieu!  there  is  an  escape,  and  here  it  is." 

She  thrust  one  hand  into  the  bosom  of  her  dress,  and 
drew  out  a  small  phial  with  a  glass  stopper. 

"  Tho  devil ! "  cried  Dupont.     "  She  means  mischief." 

He  sprang  forward,  but  was  too  late  to  stay  her  hand. 
She  had  raised  the  phial  to  her  lips  and  drank  the  con 
tents  before  he  could  seize  it. 

" God  forgive  me ! "  she  murmured.  " I. am  now  beyond 
your  reach.  Even  the  police  of  Paris  will  not  dare  to  fol 
low  me  to  that  unknown  world,  where  I  shall  find  dark 
ness  or  light." 

"  Quick,  quick ! "  cried  one  of  the  detectives  to  the  gen 
darmes.  "  A  doctor !  We  must  save  her  life.  Ma  foi  / 
I  had  no  idea  she  was  so  desperate." 

One  of  the  gendarmes  rushed  from  the  house  in  search 
of  a  physician,  without  waiting  for  a  second  bidding. 

"It  is  useless,"  murmured  the  countess,  whose  free 
already  began  to  show  the  effect  of  poison.  "I  shall  be 
beyond  the  reach  of  all  human  aid  in  less  that  ten  minutes. 
All  the  doctors  of  Paris  could  not  save  me." 

She  trembled  and  staggered  as  she  spoke,  and  had  not 
Fred  sprang  forward  and  caught  her  in  his  arms,  she  would 
have  fallen  to  the  floor. 

But  even  with  death  the  pride  of  the  countess  did  not 
desert  her.  She  sought  to  remove  Fred's  arms  from  her 
waist,  as  though  there  was  contamination  in  the  embrace. 

"Ah,"  she  gasped, "  you  are  a  mouchard,  and  I  hate  you." 

"  No,"  cried  Fred,  with  some  eagerness,  "I  am  a  gentle 
man,  and  in  no  way  responsible  for  this." 

She  made  no  further  resistance  to  his  assisting  her  to  a 
lounge,  where  she  could  lie  down  at  ease;  but  the  poison 
had  begun  to  do  its  work.  Her  eyes  grew  glassy,  and  lost 
the  look  which  health  and  success  had  given  them  a  few 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  335 

minutes  before.  Her  face,  full  and  handsome  when  we 
entered  the  house,  now  began  to  show  signs  of  dissolu 
tion,  for  the  features  bogan  to  contract,  and  a  death-like 
pallor  stole  through  the  rouge  which  was  laid  on  her 
cheeks  in  small  quantities.  A  cold,  bead-like  perspiration 
appeared  on  her  forehead  and  lips,  while  her  hands,  pressed 
upon  her  bosom,  began  to  tremble  and  to  turn  blue,  and 
the  dark  blood  to  settle  under  the  nails. 

"  For  God's  sake,  will  the  physician  never  come  ? n 
demanded  Fred.  "Let  some  one  else  go  in  search  of  a 
doctor." 

Duponl  made  a  motion,  and  another  gendarme  dis 
appeared. 

"I  know  where  the  celebrated  Ducrow  resides,"  said 
one  of  the  persons  who  had  fleeced  the  prince.  "He  can 
save  her,  if  any  one  can." 

lie  started  up,  and  was  about  to  hurry  to  the  door ;  but 
Dupont  stopped  him  with  a  bow  and  a  word. 

"Monsieur,"  he  said,  "  will  be  kind  enough  to  take  his 
seat  again.  We  must  do  without  his  assistance.  We 
shall  want  monsieur  in  a  short  time,  and  we  fear  that  if 
he  leaves  us  now,  we  shall  find  some  trouble  in  again 
catching  sight  of  his  face.  Monsieur  is  under  arrest,  and 
must  not  escape." 

"But  if  he  can  find  the  great  Ducrow,"  suggested  the 
prince.  "Sacre,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  a  life  saved  is  a 
life  gained.  I  will  be  responsible  for  the  man's  appear 
ance  with  the  physician.  You  know  me,  officers." 

"Yes,  prince;  but  not  well  enough  to  take  your  security 
for  the  return  of  a  man  who  has  passed  two  years  of  his 
life  in  prison  for  cheating." 

The  prince  muttered  an  exclamation  that  sounded  like 
an  oath,  and  then  turned  to  a  window  and  looked  into  the 
street,  so  that  he  should  not  see  the  dying  face  of  the 
woman  who  had  tempted  him  and  led  him  on  the  road 
to  ruin. 

I  saw  that  the  countess  began  to  suffer  from  thirst,  as 
the  poison  worked  through  her  nystem.  I  hastened  to  the 


336       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

supper-room,  where  the  servants  were  already  revelling,  in 
anticipation  of  the  death  of  their  mistress,  and  procured 
a  goblet  of  water  and  wine,  and  then  returned  and  wet 
the  lips  of  the  dying  woman. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  asked,  as  her  eyes  rested  on  my 
face. 

"An  American,  and  a  man  who  really  pities  you." 

"  Ah,  you  are  not  a  Frenchman,  a  tiger,  fierce  for  human 
blood,  like  the  whole  race." 

"  No,  I  am  not  a  Frenchman,"  I  replied. 

She  raised  her  head  a  little,  and  pressed  her  hands  on 
her  bosom,  as  if  she  already  felt  the  pains  of  death. 

"It  burns,"  she  murmured,  "as  though  fire  was  con 
suming  me.  Give  me  a  drink  of  water,  and  something 
to  hasten  rny  death." 

She  emptied  the  goblet,  and  just  at  that  moment  a  doc 
tor  entered  the  room.  I  made  way  for  him.  He  knelt 
down  and  felt  the  pulse  of  the  countess,  and  opened  her 
eyes  and  examined  them. 

Then  he  arose,  and,  in  answer  to  an  inquiry,  said,  — 

"  She  has  taken  some  of  the  new  vegetable  poison  dis 
covered  by  Shafler,  and  all  the  surgeons  of  Paris  could  not 
save  her  or  prolong  her  life." 

"  Can't  you  give  her  something  to  relieve  the  intense 
pain  under  which  she  is  now  suffering?"  I  asked. 

"  Yes ;  but  she  will  suffer  only  for  a  short  time  longer. 
A  confessor  should  be  called  at  once,  even  if  it  is  not  now 
too  late." 

One  of  the  gendarmes  started  in  search  of  a  priest, 
while  the  physician  mixed  an  opiate  with  a  little  water, 
and  compelled  the  dying  woman  to  open  her  mouth  and 
receive  it  upon  her  tongue. 

"It  is  useless,"  she  whispered.  "I  go;"  and  with  a 
gasp  she  died,  and  her  spirit  was  relieved  of  its  earthly 
troubles. 

"  Cover  the  face  of  the  corpse,  and  call  a  commissioner," 
Dupont  said,  and  then  turned  to  the  company  present, 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  337 

many  of  them  speechless  with  horror  at  what  they  had 
seen. 

"  Messieurs,"  the  detective  remarked,  "  you  can  retire  to 
your  homes  if  so  disposed,  all  excepting  the  three  gentle 
men  who  have  so  kindly  won  the  prince's  money.  They 
will  either  refund  it  or  go  with  the  gendarmes  to  prison. 
Be  quick  with  your  choice,  for  we  have  no  time  to  lose." 

"  We  will  take  the  prison,"  was  the  reply ;  and  off  tho 
fellows  were  marched  without  a  word. 

"Prince,"  said  Dupont,  as  the  gamblers  disappeared, 
"you  shall  have  your  money  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two. 
Those  fellows  will  not  hold  out  a  great  while.  They  pre 
fer  the  gayeties  of  Paris  to  its  prisons.  I  feel  safe  in  say 
ing  that  you  can  count  on  again  handling  your  two  hun 
dred  thousand  francs." 

The  prince  bowed,  but  said  not  a  word  in  the  way  of 
gratitude  for  what  the  detectives  had  done  for  him.  He 
left  the  house  as  soon  as  possible,  and  shuddered  as  ho 
passed  the  dead  body  of  the  countess. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  drawing-rooms  were  emptied,  with 
the  exception  of  the  two  secret  officers,  one  of  the  gen 
darmes,  Fred,  and  myself.  I  had  no  desire  longer  to  re 
main  in  a  room  where  so  sad  a  tragedy  had  occurred,  and 
intimated  to  Farenti  that  Fred  and  I  would  leave  for  our 
lodgings,  if  he  had  no  objections. 

"Wait  one  moment,"  was  the  reply.  "As  soon  as  a 
commissioner  arrives  we  will  start."  And  he  was  as  good 
as  his  word;  for  as  soon  as  the  official  h:id  entered  the 
room,  Dupont  promised  to  finish  the  work  of  explana 
tions,  and  thus  relieve  his  comrade  of  further  duty  for 
the  night. 

We  left  the  house  and  called  a  carriage,  and  by  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  Farenti  had  set  us  down  at 
our  door. 

"  Plere,"  he  said,  as  he  thurst  cards  into  our  hand?, 
"take  these.  If  you  should  want  to  see  me  ag;iin,  on  duty 
or  off,  don't  fail  to  call.  The  cards  will  tell  you  where  to 
find  me,  and  if  you  have  no  objection,  I  will  drop  in  on 


338 


THE    GOLD    IIITNTEKS    IN    EUROPE,    OK 


you  once  in  a  while,  and  hope  that  our  next  adventure 
will  not  be  a  tragical  one.  Good  night." 

He  squeezed  our  hands  and  was  gone  ;  and  we  entered 
the  house,  after  rousing  the  porter,  to  find  Murden  and 
Hopeful  sound  asleep  on  the  lounges,  instead  of  beds,  as 
we  expected. 

We  awakened  them,  and  were  greeted  with  a  showei  of 
reproaches,  and  one  or  two  profane  words. 

"  What  did  yer  want  to  keep  us  up  here  all  night  for  ?  " 
growled  Hez.  "Yer  said  yer  would  be  home  in  an  hour 
or  two,  and  here  it's  daylight.  I  ain't  got  no  patience 
with  sich  people,  I  ain't." 

"  Ah,  Hez,"  replied  Fred,  «  you  wouldn't  scold  if  you 
knew  that  we  have  made  arrangements  for  to-morrow 
night  for  your  especial  benefit." 

"What's  that?"  was  the  question. 

"  Why,  we  will  all  go  to  the  Jardin  Mabille,  where  we 
shall  see  lots  of  pretty  French  girls  and  some  wonderful 
dancing.  How  does  that  strike  you?" 

"  Wait  till  I  see  'em,"  was  the  reply ;  and  off  to  bed  Hez 
went,  but  in  a  modified  humor,  for  the  idea  appeared  to 
please  him. 

We  told  Murden  our  adventures  of  the  night;  but  they 
did  not  seem  to  surprise  him.  He  was  prepared  for  most 
anything  after  his  arrest  by  the  police.  He  said  it  was  a 
clumsy  piece  of  business  letting  the  countess  take  the 
poison,  and  if  he  had  had  charge  of  the  affair,  he  would 
have  prevented  it ;  and  so  satisfied  in  his  own  mind  he 
went  to  bed,  and  after  Fred  and  I  had  smoked  a  cigar,  wo 
followed  suit. 

We  slept  late  the  next  morning,  and  could  haidly  rcalizu 
the  facts  of  the  night  past,  while  dressing.  The  dead  face 
of  the  countess  was  still  before  us,  and  we  could  not  drive 
it  away,  hard  as  we  tried. 

But  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  light  breakfast  aided  in  re 
storing  us,  and  then  I  dressed  for  a  visit  to  Miss  Goldthwaite, 
for  I  recollected  that  I  hud  not  seen  her  since  our  arrival 
b  Paris,  and  I  feared  that  she  would  consider  me  neglect- 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  339 

ful  if  I  remained  away  much  longer;  and  I  don't  hesitate 
to  state  that  I  desired  her  favorable  consideration  above 
all  persons  in  the  world. 

I  left  rny  friends  at  the  restaurant,  and  hurried  to  Miss 
Josie's  residence,  and  sent  up  ray  card.  The  young  lady 
was  at  home,  so  the  porter  informed  me;  and  without 
waiting  to  see  if  she  was  disengaged,  I  ran  up  stairs  and 
entered  the  drawing-room,  the  door  of  which  stood  open. 

The  young  lady  was  standing  at  a  window  with  her 
back  towards  me.  I  stole  forward,  and  before  she  was 
aware  of  my  presence,  I  had  my  arm  around  her  waist ; 
and  when  she  started  back,  astonished  at  the  liberty,  I 
saw  that  her  eyes  were  filled  with  tears. 

"  Josie,"  I  asked,  as  she  twisted  herself  from  my  embrace, 
"tell  me,  what  is  the  matter?" 

"  Nothing,"  was  the  reply ;  and  then  a  fresh  shower  of 
tears  started  to  her  eyes. 

This  was  something  that  required  an  investigation ;  so  I 
made  her  take  a  seat  while  I  did  the  same.  I  determined 
to  have  a  long  and  confidential  chat  with  the  lady. 


CHAPTER  XXXIY. 

THE   EMPEROR   NAPOLEON   AND    FAMILY. A   KIND   RECEP 

T10N.  —  AN   EXPLANATION. THE    LEAVE-TAKING. 

As  I  took  a  seat  by  Miss  Josie's  side,  I  stole  a  look  at 
her  face,  and  saw  that  it  seemed  perplexed,  and  a  little 
indignant  at  the  same  time.  She  noticed  that  I  was  look 
ing  at  her,  and  became  angry  in  a  moment. 

"  How  dare  you  insult  me  so  much  as  to  put  your  arm 
around  my  waist,  without  my  permission?*  she  asked, 
with  as  much  indignation  as  she  could  manifest. 

I  sighed,  for  I  saw  that  she  was  bound  to  quarrel  with 


540  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUEOrE,   OB 

fne  at  any  rate,  and  I  knew  that  I  had  done  nothing  de* 
8'jrving  her  anger. 

"Is  your  father  at  home?"  I  asked ;  for  I  thought  that  I 
would  see  Mr.  Goldthwaite  for  a  moment,  and  then  retire, 
anl  return  some  other  time,  when  she  was  in  a  more 
agreeable  humor. 

"  No,  he  is  not  at  home ;  and  if  he  were,  I  do  not  be- 
Meve  that  he  would  remain  quiet  and  see  his  daughter 
insulted." 

This  was  a  little  too  much ;  so  I  instantly  arose  and  pre- 
le  ided  that  I  was  about  to  take  my  leave. 

M  Miss  Josie,"  I  said,  as  calm  as  I  could  be  under  the  cir 
cs  'instances,  "  if  you  really  think  that  I  meant  to  insult  you, 
I  ^eg  you  to  alter  your  mind,  for  I  had  no  such  intention." 

"  Why  did  you  put  your  arm  around  my  waist  ? "  she 
c*  amanded,  in  a  tone  that  was  a  little  modified. 

"  Because  nature  prompted  me  to  do  so,  ancl  I  could  not 
resist." 

"  Yet  nature  did  not  prompt  you  to  visit  me  all  yester 
day;"  and  the  young  lady  looked  her  indignation. 

I  began  to  see  light.  It  was  dawning  on  me  in  the  most 
mysterious  manner. 

"Josie,"  I  said,  "don't  you  know  that  all  day  yesterday 
I  was  at  work  to  obtain  some  information  of  your  sister, 
who  is  supposed  to  be  confined  in  a  convent  in  this  city  ?  " 

"  No  ;  I  was  not  aware  of  it.  O,  how  cruel  I  have  been 
to  you !  and  what  an  opinion  you  must  have  of  me ! " 

"I  have  the  best  opinion  of  you,  Josie,"  I  said,  as  I 
kissed  her  hand ;  "  but  you  know  that  at  times  you  are  a 
little  unreasonable  and  impetuous,  and  then  you  do  love 
to  quarrel." 

"  I  fear  that  all  you  say  is  too  true ;  but  I  don't  know 
how  I  can  cure  myself  of  the  habit,"  was  the  little  darling's 
answer. 

I  was  just  about  to  put  an  arm  around  the  best  propor 
tioned  waist  in  all  France,  and  to  whisper  in  her  ear -that  if 
she  would  but  love  me,  all  such  trifling  imperfections  would 
be  overlooked  and  laughed  at,  when  I  heard  a  door  open. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  341 

I  turned  and  saw  Mr.  Goldtliwaite,  Josie's  father.  I  had 
an  immense  amount  of  respect  for  him,  because  I  realty 
loved  his  daughter,  and  hoped  that  he  would  act  as  a  fathci 
towards  me  at  some  distant  day;  but  his  presence  just  at 
that  moment  was  very  disagreeable,  and  for  the  time  1 
thought-  him  rather  meddlesome. 

"Bless  me,"  cried  the  old  gentleman,  coming  forward, 
with  an  eager,  outstretched  hand,  "  I  had  no  idea  that  you 
were  in  the  house,  my  dear  boy." 

"I  supposed  that  the  servant  would  tell  you,"  I  an- 
gwered ;  but  I  had  not  supposed  anything  of  the  kind,  for 
the  porter  alone  knew  that  I  was  a  caller. 

"  Always  send  me  word,  my  dear  boy,"  replied  Mr. 
Goldthwaite,  "when  you  call.  You  must  not  leave  the 
house  without  seeing  me.  We  think  too  much  of  you  for 
that  —  don't  we,  Josie?" 

"As  you  say,  papa,"  replied  the  young  lady,  without 
turning  her  head ;  but  at  the  same  time  she  drummed  on 
the  window-pane,  as  though  she  felt  a  little  annoyed  at 
the  presence  of  her  respected  father,  just  at  that  particular 
moment,  when  she  had  anticipated  so  much  and  been  dis 
appointed. 

"  We  missed  you  very  much  all  day,  yesterday,"  Mr. 
Goldthwaite  said.  "I  didn't  leave  the  house  but  for  a 
short  time,  for  fear  you  would  call  and  I  should  lose  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  you.  Even  Josie  would  not  go  out,  for 
she  said  that  she  knew  you  would  be  here." 

I  gave  Miss  Josie  a  glance  of  approval,  but  the  young 
lady  did  not  seem  to  notice  it,  for  she  turned  from  tho 
window  and  faced  her  father. 

"I  do  wish,  papa,  that  you  would  think  twice  before  you 
epeak  of  me  to  gentlemen.  You  place  me  in  the  most  em 
barrassing  of  positions." 

Mr.  Goldthwaito  looked  astonished,  and  could  not  com 
prehend  how  he  had   offended  the  little  beauty  ;   but   I 
could  understand  her  feelings,  and  sympathized  with  her. 
"  Sit  down,"  said  Mr.  Goldthwaite,  "  and  let  us  have  a 


342        THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IX  EUROPE,  OR 

short  conversation  on  the  topic  that  brought  us  to  Paria 
Have  you  heard  a  single  word  of  Susie  ?  " 

Josie  came  and  sat  down  by  her  father,  and  seemed  in 
terested  in  the  question.  I  remembered  what  I  had  told 
the  young  lady,  so  was  careful  in  my  reply.  They  were 
satisfied  with  it,  and  the  zeal  that  I  promised  to  bring  to 
bear  in  the  search. 

"I  have  heard  but  a  rumor,"  the  father  said,  "and  it 
came  from  an  old  friend.  I  will  not  tell  you  what  it  is  at 
the  present  time,  for  it  is  too  cruel  to  repeat.  In  a  few 
days  I  shall  be  better  informed." 

I  saw  that  the  subject  was  a  painful  one  to  Mr.  Gold- 
thwaite  and  his  daughter ;  so  it  was  dropped  for  more  con 
genial  topics ;  and  thus  we  passed  the  forenoon  in  a  pleas 
ant  manner,  until  it  was  time  for  me  to  take  my  departure, 
for  I  remembered  that  Hez  had  an  interview  with  the  em 
peror  for  the  purpose  of  exhibiting  the  model  of  his  gun, 
and  it  was  desirable  that  he  should  be  prompt. 

"  You  will  call  this  evening  ? "  Josie  asked,  as  she  ex 
tended  her  hand. 

"  It  will  be  impossible  to  see  you  to-night,  but  to-mor 
row  I  will  call." 

The  young  lady,  like  the  spoiled  child  that  she  was, 
pouted  a  little,  and  then  turned  to  the  window  and  looked 
into  the  street,  while  I  hurried  to  our  lodgings,  and  found 
my  friends  all  ready  to  start  for  the  Tuileries  with  the 
model  of  the  gun  which  Hopeful  thought  so  much  of. 

"  You.  don't  s'pose  the  emperor  would  be  mean  enough 
to  steal  the  thing — do  yer?"  asked  Hez,  as  we  entered  the 
carriage  that  was  to  take  us  to  the  palace. 

We  assured  Hez  that  we  did  not  think  Napoleon  was> 
the  man  to  do  any  such  thing;  and  this  pacified  him 
somewhat,  but  he  declared  that  he  would  keep  his  eye  on 
the  emperor  and  watch  all  his  motions. 

"Where  shall  I  go,  messieurs?"  asked  the  driver. 

"  To  the  Tuileries,"  we  answered. 

The  coachman  was  a  Frenchman ;  so  he  bowejd,  smiled, 
and  stroked  his  mustache,  and  then  hesitated. 


THE    DEAD    A  JYE.  313 

"Well,"  we  said,  "  what  is  the  matter?  " 

"  Pardon,  messieurs,"  the  man  said,  "  but  you  are  stran 
gers  in  Paris,  or  I  would  not  have  told  you  that  you  could 
not  enter  the  grounds  of  the  Tuileries  while  the  emperor 
is  there." 

"  We  go  by  appointment,"  I  answered. 

<;  Pardon,"  muttered  the  man,  "  I  did  not  know  that ; 
monsieur  did  not  trust  me  with  his  confidence." 

lie  touched  his  cap  with  the  air  of  a  prince,  and  then 
mounted  his  box  and  drove  us  to  the  palace. 

A  sentinel  prevented  us  from  entering  the  gate,  as  we 
expected.  The  driver  looked  at  us,  and  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  as  much  as  to  say,  "You  see  —  what  I  told 
you  is  true." 

"We  come  by  orders  of  the  emperor,"  I  said  to  the 
soldier. 

"  Are  you  Americans,  with  the  model  of  a  gun  ?  "  was 
asked. 

"  Yes." 

"Pardon,  messieurs,  I  have  orders  to  admit  you.  Pass 
on." 

We  entered,  and  in  a  moment  an  under  aid  of  the  em- 
peror  met  us. 

"His  majesty  is  ready  to  receive  you,"  this  person  said. 
u  Will  you  please  to  follow  me  ?" 

He  conducted  us  to  the  palace,  up  one  flight  of  stairs, 
—  where  we  saw  an  abundance  of  servants, —  and  then 
gfive  us  in  charge  of  an  aid  who  seemed  to  be  in  attend 
ance  on  his  majesty. 

To  this  latter  aid  we  were  presented  in  due  form. 

"  One  of  you,"  said  the  aid,  "  has  a  model  which  n:s 
majesty  is  to  look  at  this  morning." 

"  Yes." 

"  You  will  be  kind  enough  to  let  me  sec  it  for  a  mo- 
mont;"  and  the  officer  led  the  way  to  a  small  side  room. 

This  was  a  precaution,  so  that  no  accident  should  t  ip« 
pen  to  the  emperor. 

The  aid  examined  the  model  with  a  critical  eye. 


344        THE  GOLD  HUNTEKS  IN  EUBOPE,  OB 
) 

"  It  is  not  loaded  ?  "  he  said. 

"  No ;  we  can  show  the  workings  of  the  gun  without 
the  aid  of  powder  or  ball,"  was  Hez's  reply. 

"  Good,"  said  the  aid.     "  Please  follow  me." 

We  did  follow  him,  and  found  ourselves  crossing  sev 
eral  large  halls,  the  walls  of  which  were  hung  with  paint 
ings  and  engravings.  We  were  not  allowed  to  stop  and 
admire  anything  that  we  saw,  much  as  we  wanted  to,  for 
an  emperor  was  waiting  for  us,  and  an  emperor's  time  is 
val  uable. 

Presently  we  came  to  some  heavy  silk  curtains,  where 
we  found  a  page  in  attendance.  The  boy  gave  us  a  nod 
of  welcome  and  a  bright  smile,  and  then  drew  aside  the 
curtains,  and  we  found  ourselves  in  the  presence  of  the 
emperor. 

He  was  seated  at  a  round  table,  which  was  covered  with 
maps,  books,  and  models,  pen  and  paper.  He  wore  a  dark 
frock  coat,  buttoned  around  his  stout  form,  and  had  on 
white  linen  trousers,  loose  and  long,  for  they  covered  his 
boots,  which  were  of  patent  leather. 

Napoleon  looked  up  from  a  book  as  the  curtains  were 
drawn  aside,  and  when  he. saw  us  a  smile  passed  over  his 
face.  It  was  a  peculiar  smile,  and  showed  me  that  the 
man  had  a  heart  even  if  his  enemies  said  he  was  destitute 
of  such  an  organ. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  gentlemen,"  the  emperor  said,  in 
excellent  English,  which  pleased  Hez  so  much  he  rushed 
forward  and  shook  Napoleon's  hand. 

"  Now,"  cried  our  impulsive  friend  from  New  Hamp 
shire,  "  we  can  understand  one  another  jist  like  brothers. 
I  can't  talk  the  French  lingo,  and  it's  no  use  for  me  to 
attempt  it.  It  puts  my  tongue  out  of  jint  to  try." 

Napoleon  smiled  and  motioned  us  to  seats,  and  after  we 
had  sat  down  intimated  that  he  was  ready  to  look  at  the 
model  of  the  gun. 

In  an  instant  Hez  had  produced  it,  and  was  deep  in 
mysteries  of  springs,  range,  muzzle,  loads,  rapid  firing, 
&c.,  &G. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  345 


I  will  give  Hopeful  the  credit  of  saying  that  he 
stood  machinery  most  thoroughly,  and  while  talking  about 
it,  could  make  himself  quite  interesting.  This  time  he 
did  his  best,  for  he  considered  his  revolving  gun  the  tri 
umph  of  his  genius.  He  showed  the  emperor  how  easy  it 
was  to  load  the  weapon,  how  rapidly  it  could  be  fired,  and 
with  what  accuracy,  even  by  the  most  careless  of  marks 
men. 

His  majesty  listened  most  attentively,  and  said  but  little, 
yet  I  could  see  that  he  comprehended  all  that  was  placed 
before  him.  He  asked  a  few  questions,  but  they  were  not 
of  a  trifling  nature,  as  Hez  needed  all  of  his  intelligence  to 
answer  them. 

While  Hopeful  was  explaining  some  point  that  the 
emperor  appeared  doubtful  of,  the  curtains  were  drawn 
aside,  and  a  lady,  leading  a  child  by  the  hand,  entered  the 
room.  A  glance  was  sufficient  to  assure  us  that  it  was 
the  empress  and  the  prince  imperial.  We  were  on  our 
feet  in  an  instant  and  bowing  most  profoundly,  which  the 
empress  acknowledged  with  a  smile  that  was  as  sweet  as 
ever  played  over  the  face  of  woman,  while  the  prince  ac 
cepted  our  courtesy  with  all  the  grave  dignity  of  a  king. 

"  I  did  not  know  that  you  gave  an  audience  this  morn 
ing,  Louis  ?  "  the  empress  said,  uncertain  whether  to  ad 
vance  or  retreat. 

"  These  are  some  Americans  who  wanted  me  to  examine 
the  model  of  a  gun,"  returned  the  emperor.  "  Come  and 
look  at  it.  Here,  mon  prince,  is  something  that  will  inter 
est  you." 

The  prince  left  his  mother's  side  and  passed  over  to  his 
father. 

"  Ah,"  cried  the  empress,  with  an  expression  of  horror 
on  her  fine  classical  face,  "more  models  of  murderous 
weapons  ?  " 

"Yes,  Eugenie,  more  models.  It  is  necessary  for  the 
safety  of  France  that  the  empire  should  have  the  best 
and  most  destructive.'* 


846       THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUEOPE,  OB 

"And  is  it  necessary  that  our  child  should  look  at  such? 
Consider  his  tender  years." 

"I  do ;  but  if  he  is  to  rule  France  some  day,  he  must 
understand  all  subjects  that  interest  a  Frenchman." 

The  emperor  spoke  in  so  significant  a  manner  that  the 
empress  could  not  fail  to  understand  him.  An  expression 
of  regret  and  weariness  passed  over  the  lady's  face,  and 
she  turned  to  leave  the  room,  but  suddenly  recollected  us, 
and  prepared  a  smile  for  our  benefit. 

I  will  confess  that  I  never  saw  so  sweet  a  smile  upon 
woman's  face,  or  so  much  grace  in  woman's  movements,  in 
my  life,  as  the  empress  displayed  on  that  eventful  day. 

"  You  are  Americans  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I  like  the  Ameri 
cans,  and  Paris  is  honored  by  the  visits  of  so  many.  We 
are  always  happy  to  see  them." 

"  If  they  do  not  bring  the  model  of  guns  to  the  palace," 
suggested  Fred. 

The  empress  smiled,  but  replied,  — 

"The  emperor  is  interested  in  everything  that  apper 
tains  to  the  glory  and  power  of  France." 

"  And  France  repays  the  love  which  he  bears  her,  be 
cause  through  his  aid  she  has  been  placed  in  the  front 
rank  of  nations,"  was  Fred's  reply.  And  quite  a  delicate 
little  piece  of  flattery  it  was,  as  I  afterwards  told  him ; 
but  my  friend  assured  me  that  he  was  serious  and  in  ear 
nest  in  what  he  said. 

The  emperor  heard  the  words,  and  suspended  his  exam 
ination  of  the  model,  much  to  Hez's  disgust.  lie  took  the 
little  prince  by  the  hand,  and  came  towards  us. 

"You  compliment  France  and  me,"  the  emperor  said, 
"and  I  thank  you  for  it,  and  wish  that  all  your  country 
men  had  as  favorable  an  opinion.  America  has  suspected 
me  of  being  hostile;  but  there  is  no  warmer  friend  to  the* 
United  States  in  Europe  than  myself." 

We  said  that  w^e  were  glad  to  hear  it ;  .but  Fred  sug 
gested  that  the  Mexican  expedition  was  the  principal  thing 
that  had  caused  our  people  to  look  at  France  and  her  rule? 
with  suspicion. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  347 

The  emperor  glanced  at  the  empress,  and  smilcJ;  but 
whether  it  was  at  our  frankness,  or  some  secret  thought,  I 
could  not  tell. 

"My  motive  for  the  Mexican  expedition  will  one  day 
be  more  apparent  than  at  present,"  the  emperor  said. 
"History  will  do  me  justice  on  that  point,  if  history  is 
ever  correctly  written.  Why,  just  look  at  the  matter  in 
a  clear  light.  You  know  how  the  country  was  distracted 
with  revolutions  and  bloodshed.  It  owed  millions  of 
dollars  to  ray  people,  and  they  wanted  their  money,  but 
could  not  obtain  a  dollar — only  promises.  Then  England 
and  Spain  proposed  a  joint  alliance  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  debts  and  peace.  I  joined  the  alliance,  and  the 
result  is  before  the  world.  I  was  deserted  by  my  allies  in 
the  earliest  stages  of  the  conflict,  and  single-handed  I  car 
ried  on  the  project.  The  United  States  complained,  yet 
I  did  not  make  a  move  until  I  had  consulted  with  your 
authorities  at  Washington,  and  obtained  assurances  that 
I  should  meet  with  no  opposition  on  your  part ;  but  after 
a  while  the  politicians  thought  that  they  saw  danger  in  a 
reliable  kingdom  instead  of  a  distracted  republic,  and  the 
cry  was  raised  for  intervention.  That  cry  strengthened 
and  encouraged  the  Mexicans,  and  at  last  I  withdrew  my 
soldiers  from  the  country,  and  told  Maximilian  that  I  could 
no  longer  keep  him  on  his  throne.  lie  did  not  heed  my 
warning,  and  so  lost  his  life;  and  for  that  I  am  blamed, 
but  most  unjustly." 

During  the  time  the  emperor  was  speaking,  the  young 
prince  listened  to  every  word  that  his  father  uttered,  as 
though  to  retain  the  thoughts  upon  his  mind,  while  the 
empress  paid  the  same  attention  that  her  son  did.  Of 
course  we  were  surprised  at  the  revelations  and  at  the 
frankness  with  which  Napoleon  spoke,  and  I  had  no  doubt 
at  the  time  that  he  was  uttering  the  truth ;  but  we  could 
not  slap  him  on  the  back  and  tell  him  as  much ;  so  we  aim- 
p]y  bowed  and  looked  profound,  until  Hez  —  confound 
him  —  broke  the  silence  by  saying,  — 

"I'll  tell  yer  what  it  is,  Mr.  Napoleon,  if  you  had  had  a 


348        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

lot  of  my  guns  in  yer  fellers'  hands,  and  they  had  knowed 
how  to  use  'em,  all  the  Mexicans  in  the  country  could 
not  have  driv  yer  out ;  you  may  jist  bet  yer  pile  oil  that." 

The  emperor  smiled,  and  replied, — 

"Perhaps  so;  but  now  we  will  resume  our  examination 
of  the  weapon,  if  you  have  no  objections." 

Ilez  was  delighted  to  do  so.  He  did  not  care  foi  Mexico. 
All  that  he  wanted  was  to  talk  of  guns  and  machinery. 

"Perhaps,  gentlemen,"  the  empress  said,  "you  would 
like  to  look  over  the  palace  while  you  are  waiting  for 
your  companion." 

We  said  that  we  should  be  delighted  to  do  so,  and  the 
tinkle  of  a  small  bell  summoned  a  page. 

"  Victor,"  said  the  lady,  "  show  the  gentlemen  the  pal 
ace  and  gardens,  and  then  return  with  them  to  this  room." 

We  bowed,  and  followed  the  page. 

"  Was  there  ever  such  a  gracious  lady  ? "  demanded 
Murden,  who  was  running  over  with  enthusiasm  for  the 
empress  and  her  husband  and  child.  "I  could  die  for  her, 
and  think  nothing  of  it." 

We  were  nearly  as  enthusiastic  as  our  friend,  and  we 
could  hardly  realize  that  we  were  not  dreaming,  the  whole 
thing  seemed  so  strange;  but  when  we  returned  to  the 
palace,  after  an  examination  of  the  gardens,  we  were  con 
ducted  to  a  room  where  we  found  an  excellent  collation 
that  had  been  laid  for  us  by  the  emperor's  order,  with  some 
of  the  best  champagne  that  I  tasted  while  in  France. 

As  soon  as  we  had  satisfied  the  cravings  of  our  appetite, 
we  once  more  returned  to  the  emperor's  private  cabinet, 
and  there  took  leave  of  those  who  had  entertained  us  so 
handsomely. 

"You  shall  hear  from  me  in  the  course  of  a  few  days," 
Napoleon  said,  speaking  to  Hez,  and  alluding  to  the  gur» 
model.  "I  must  study  over  it  a  little  longer." 

"  Send  for  me  any  time,  Mr.  Napoleon,"  replied  the  son 
of  New  Hampshire.  And  then  we  left  the  palace  for  our 
rooms,  and  to  get  ready  for  the  ball  at  the  garden  Mabille, 
where  we  expected  to  see  some  fun. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  349 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

I  HE  GARDEN  MABILLE.  —  A  PRETTY  GIEL.  —  A  FLIRT A- 
T1ON.  —  A  DANCE.  —  AN  INVITATION.  —  A  GRAYBEAltD. 
THE  IRON  GATE. 

IN  dressing  for  the  visit  to  the  Garden  Mabille  we  wen) 
more  particular  than  we  had  been  while  in  Paris.  We 
cast  aside  all  the  clothes  which  we  had  worn  from  the 
United  States,  and  put  on  some  which  we  had  purchased 
in  France,  because  we  knew  the  kind  of  place  we  were 
going  to,  and  were  not  disposed  to  give  the  people  whom 
we  were  to  meet  an  opportunity  to  pick  us  to  pieces  by 
the  way  of  ridicule,  as  they  would  be  likely  to  do  if  our 
clothing  afforded  the  least  evidence  of  an  anti-Parisian 
character. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  entered  the  Mabille,  and  were  soon 
mingling  with  the  crowd.  At  first  we  had  some  appre 
hension  of  Hopeful ;  but  he  told  us  that  he  could  take  care 
of  himself  without  our  aid ;  and,  sure  enough,  the  next 
moment  he  was  attempting  to  galop  with  a  black-eyed 
damsel,  who  held  on  to  the  son  of  New  Hampshire  as 
though  she  had  got  hold  of  a  prize,  and  determined  to 
retain  it  if  smiles  and  blandishments  could  succeed,  al 
though  they  could  not  understand  a  word  that  each  said 
to  the  other. 

"  Be  careful,  Hez,"  I  said,  "  and  don't  get  into  trouble. 
Mind,  the  eyes  of  France  are  upon  you." 

"  Don't  you  bother  yer  head  about  me,"  was  the  reply, 
"  I  kin  take  care  of  myself,  I  guess,  without  yer  assistance. 
If  France  wants  somethin'  to  look  at,  she  may  find  lots  of 
pt  ople  besides  me." 

By  the  time  the  speech  was  finished,  the  young  lady,  hia 
partner,  had  whirled  him  to  the  music  of  the  band,  some 
distance  from  me ;  and  the  next  time  I  caught  a  glimpse 
of  him  and  his  flame,  they  were  in  one  of  the  stalls  drink 


THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,    OR 

ing  iced  champagne  and  eating  ice  cream  as  though  they 
liked  it  and  each  other's  company. 

Fred  and  Murden  soon  separated  from  me  —  one  to 
chat  with  a  laughing  girl,  who  could  not  keep  her  feet  still 
while  the  music  was  playing,  and  the  other  to  drink  a  bot 
tle  of  wine  and  smoke  a  cigar  in  some  part  of  the  garden 
where  he  could  be  more  retired,  and  run  some  chance  of 
falling  in  with  a  countryman. 

I  was  leaning  against  one  of  the  stalls,  quietly  smoking 
a  cigar,  and  almost  wishing  that  some  girl  would  come 
along  and  challenge  me  for  a  galop,  when  a  female  touched 
my  elbow ;  but  whether  by  design  or  accident  I  could 
not  tell. 

I  said  nothing,  but  continued  smoking.  Once  in  a 
while,  however,  I  stole  a  glance  at  the  lady,  and  saw  that 
she  was  remarkably  handsome,  and  resembled  some  one 
whom  I  had  seen,  but  who  I  could  not  just  remember  at 
that"  time. 

She  remained  standing  at  my  side,  and  seemed  to  be 
interested  in  the  dancing,  but  did  not  once  look  at  rne, 
although  she  must  have  known  that  I  was  watching  her. 

For  ten  minutes  we  stood  side  by  side  without  speaking. 
I  longed  to  have  a  chat  with  her,  but  feared  that  she  was 
of  a  different  class  from  those  who  surrounded  her,  or  that 
she  was  under  the  protection  of  some  of  the  wild  students 
who  were  in  the  garden  in  large  numbers,  drinking  and 
dancing,  and  quick  to  take  offence  in  case  one  of  their 
protegees  was  interfered  with. 

At  last  I  moved  to  another  part  of  the  grounds;  for  I 
feared  that  temptation  would  be  too  much  for  me.  The 
gi.'l's  handsome  face  was  not  to  be  resisted  for  any  length 
oi  time  by  a  sensitive  man  like  myself. 

I  lighted  a  fresh  cigar  in  my  new  quarters,  and  once 
more  looked  at  the  dancers.  I  saw  Hez  overturning  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact  as  he  galoped  in  company 
with  a  nimble-footed  nyrnph  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds1 
weight.  I  heard  the  many  curses  that  were  hurled  at  Ilia 
head  by  the  grumbling  Englishman,  or  the  more  p)lite 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  351 

Frenchman,  or  the  impulsive  American.  I  saw  Fred  en. 
joying  himself  with  a  petite  grisette,  and  caught  sight  of 
Mimlen  drinking  champagne  with  a  burly  Englishman 
with  a  red  face,  and  then  I  turned  around  and  saw  — 

Well,  I  was  a  little  surprised  and  pleased  withal ;  for  aa 
turned  I  saw  the  handsome  face  and  dark  eyes  of  the 
.ady  who  had  stood  by  my  side  so  long  in  the  other  part 
of  the  garden. 

I  looked  at  her  long  and  earnestly,  and  then  she  raised 
her  eyes  and  met  my  glance  with  one  so  full  of  fun  that  1 
could  no  longer  keep  silent.  I  laughed  outright,  and  said, 
in  French, — 

"Is  this  good  fortune  or  accident?  If  it  is  my  fortune 
to  meet  and  become  acquainted  with  you,  I  shall  bless  my 
luck  for  the  remainder  of  my  life.  If  our  meeting  is  the 
result  of  accident,  I  shall  also  bless  all  such  accidents  in 
the  future." 

"You  may  call  it  what  you  will,"  replied  the  lady,  with 
a  smile  that  rippled  into  a  laugh,  hearty  and  cheerful ;  and 
then  she  glanced  up  at  me  with  a  pair  of  eyes  that  were 
only  excelled  by  those  of  Miss  Goldthwaite,  so  clear,  so 
bright  and  large  were  they. 

"  Then  let  me  call  this  second  meeting  by  design,"  I 
said.  "  If  you  will,  I  shall  consider  myself  a  happy  man." 

"  Second  meeting !  What  do  you  mean  ? "  she  aaked, 
with  a  look  of  pretended  surprise. 

"I  have  seen  you  once  before  this  evening  —  have  I 
not?" 

"  Who  can  tell  ?  I  have  been  here  for  some  time.  It 
would  be  singular  if  we  had  not  seen  each  other." 

u  And  now  that  I  have  spoken,  is  there  any  need  of  our 
separating  for  the  present  ?  " 

She  stole  a  look  at  me  from  those  glorious  black  eyes, 
and  then  I  saw  a  smile  once  more  appear  on  her  face* 

"  Can  I  trust  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  am  a  man,'!  and  bowed  before  her. 

"  I  suppose  that  you  are,  and  that  is  the  reason  I  want 
to  know  if  I  can  Uust  you,"  she  said,  a  little  pettishly. 


352  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IX   EUROPE,   OB 

"  Try  me  and  sec." 

"  I  am  almost  inclined  to  ; "  and  once  more  those  black 
eyes  were  raised  to  my  face,  and  seemed  to  read  my 
thoughts. 

"  It  shall  be  for  your  happiness  if  you  do,"  was  my  fervent 
reply. 

"  You  are  not  a  Frenchman  ?  "  she  asked,  after  a  mo- 
men  tV,  thought. 

"Nj;  I  am  an  American." 

She  started  as  though  I  had  touched  a  topic  that  was 
disagreeable  to  her.  Then  she  sighed,  and  murmured, — 

"  I  thought  so." 

"  Why  did  you  think  so  ?  "  I  asked  ;  and  taking  her  hand, 
I  placed  it  on  my  arm,  and  moved  to  a  more  retired  part  of 
the  garden,  where  there  was  less  confusion  and  more 
comfort. 

"The  moment  I  looked  on  you  I  was  sure  that  you 
were  an  American,"  the  lady  said,  as  we  moved  along. 

"  You  are  an  expert  in  reading  nationalities,  for  I  am 
proud  to  acknowledge  myself  an  American,  and  I  wish 
that  you  were  one  also." 

"Why?"  and  she  held  down  her  head  as  though  look 
ing  for  something  that  was  lost  on  the  ground. 

"  Because  I  think  that  so  much  beauty  should  belong  to 
my  country.  We  Americans  worship  female  loveliness." 

"Do  you?" 

She  looked  up  and  laughed,  and  gave  me  a  glance  that 
was  quite  tantalizing.  I  began  to  feel  quite  interested  in 
her,  considering  that  I  was  in  love  with  another  lady,  who 
was  equally  if  not  more  beautiful. 

"  Let  me  offer  you  some  refreshments,"  I  said.  "  A 
glass  of  wine." 

"  No ;  I  never  drink  wine  with  a  stranger." 

"  And  you  call  me  a  stranger  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  I  never  saw  you  before  this  evening." 

"But  I  have  seen  one  just  like  you,"  I  added,  "and  I  am 
acquainted  with  her,  so  should  be  on  the  same 
footing  with  you." 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  35d 

« Is  tl  e  lady  a  native  of  France  ?  " 
"  No  ;  she  belongs  to  my  country." 

"  Tell  me  her  name  —  won't  you  ?  "  demanded  the  lady ; 
and  1  was  just  about  to  refuse,  when  some  one  blundered 
against  us,  and  I  saw  that  it  was  Hez  and  his  partner. 

He  was  off  in  a  moment,  only  just  taking  time  to  say^ 
M  Come  on  like  me,"  when  he  was  banging  at  some  one 
else,  in  another  part  of  the  grounds. 

"  Will  you  dance  ?  "  I  asked,  "  or  do  you  decline  on  the 
same  ground  that  you  refuse  wine  with  me  ?  " 

"  I  will  dance  with  you  if  you  wish,"  she  said ;  and  aa 
she  spoke  she  threw  part  of  her  lace  shawl  over  her  face, 
so  that  more  than  half  her  features  were  concealed.  Then 
she  put  one  of  her  small  hands  on  my  shoulder,  and  while 
my  arm  encircled  her  plump  waist,  away  we  went  to  the 
voluptuous  movements  and  music  of  a  waltz. 

I  found  my  companion  an  excellent  dancer,  light  and 
easy  ;  so  I  did  not  soon  tire  of  the  amusement ;  but  when 
we  were  both  pretty  well  blown,  we  stopped  and  edged 
away  from  the  crowd. 

"You  dance  well,"  the  lady  said,  as  soon  she  could  find 
breath  to  speak. 

"  Thank  you.  I  find  you  charming,  either  in  the  dance 
or  the  promenade.  There  is  one  more  character  in  which 
I  should  like  to  test  you." 

"  Name  it ; "  and  she  laughed  as  though  she  liked  the 
compliment. 

"Lot  me  see  if  you  can  partake  of  some  refreshments 
with  the  same  grace  that  you  can  dance." 

For  a  moment  she  hesitated.     Then  she  turned  square 
around,  and  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  with  an  expression 
of  her  large  black  eyes  that  showed  she  was  in  earnest. 
"  First,"  she  said,  "  tell  me  what  you  think  of  me." 
"  I  think  that  you  are  the  most  charming  lady  that  1 
have  met  in  Paris." 

"  Pshaw !  that  is  flattery,  and  rather  gross  at  that.  What 
I  want  to  know  is,  do  you  believe  me  honest  ?" 

Now,  I  did  not  believe  her  to  bo  any  better  than  the 
23 


354  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUKC  ?E,    OR 

rest  of  the  girls  who  were  rollicking  on  every  side  of  usj 
but  still  it  would  have  been  extremely  impolite  for  me  to 
have  said  so,  consequently  I  adopted  the  manly  suggestion, 
that  I  thought  she  was  one  of  the  best  women  in  Paris,  and 
as  pure  as  the  driven  snow,  and  as  handsome  as  Venus. 

She  listened  to  my  protestations  in  silence ;  but  I  could 
see  by  the  curl  of  her  handsome  lips  that  she  did  not 
believe  what  I  said  came  from  my  heart. 

"  One  more  question,"  she  said.  "  Can  you  afford  to  pay 
for  what  refreshments  we  order  ?  " 

"Yes;  but  the  question  is  a  strange  one." 

"  Perhaps  it  is ;  but  this  is  not  the  first  time  that  I^iave 
been  in  the  gardens,  or  the  first  time  that  I  have  been 
asked  to  partake  of  refreshments." 

"You  are  candor  itself,"  I  murmured. 

"Don't  be  a  fool,"  the  lady  replied,  as  I  attempted  to 
kiss  one  of  her  neatly-gloved  hands. 

I  told  her  that  I  would  not,  for  my  next  attempt  would 
be  nearer  her  lips,  which  I  preferred  to  her  hand. 

She  frowned,  and  continued  :  — 

"  Once  or  twice  I  have  seen  -gentlemen  reduced  to 
despair  because  they  could  not  pay  for  what  I  had  ordered  ; 
and  then  they  have  blamed  me." 

"My  dear  girl,"  I  said,  "you  can't  be  a  Frenchwoman, 
you  are  so  considerate  of  people's  pockets." 

She  blushed,  and  said  that  she  was  French,  and  would 
be  nothing  else. 

"  Then,  my  conscientious  little  angel  in  petticoats,  don't 
be  alarmed,  for  I  assure  you  that  I  have,  at  the  present 
time,  a  thousand  francs  in  my  pocket,  a  diamond  pin  and 
a  diamond  ring,  besides  a  gold  watch,  and  an  account  at 
my  banker's  that  will  last  me  a  long  time,  even  if  I  am 
rather  fast  and  extravagant." 

"  You  are  speaking  the  truth  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Yes ;  I  could  not  tell  an  untruth  to  so  charming  a 
person." 

"  Don't  be  an  ass,"  she  remarked,  in  an  impatient  tone. 
"  I  don't  ike  compliments  from  strangers." 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  355 

"  I've  known  you  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  some  one 
ike  you  for  some  weeks." 

"  Tell  me  the  name  of  the  person  who  is  like  me.  Is  she 
French  or  American  ?  " 

"  Tou  just  told  me  not  to  be  an  ass,  and  I  shall  take  your 
advice,"  I  replied,  in  a  light,  jesting  tone;  for  I  had  no 
idea  of  mentioning  Miss  Josie's  name  in  the  presence  of 
strangers,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  wild  revels  of  the  Mabille. 

She  did  not  appear  to  be  offended  at  my  frankness, 
neither  did  she  press  her  question,  but  motioned  towards 
one  of  the  stalls,  as  if  she  desired  to  be  seated. 

I  complied  with  her  motions,  and  called  for  ices  and 
wine.  She  ate  the  former,  but  refused  to  touch  the  latter, 
although  I  pressed  her  to  join  me  in  a  social  glass.  She 
was  firm  in  her  declination,  and  while  I  was  arguing  and 
jesting,  some  one  stopped  at  the  entrance  of  the  stall  and 
looked  in.  I  just  glanced  at  him,  and  saw  that  he  had  a 
gray  beard  and  a  pair  of  black,  twinkling  eyes. 

"  Allans"  the  stranger  said,  "  don't  have  too  much  fun 
all  alone  by  yourselves." 

Then  the  fellow  with  the  beard  laughed  and  vanished  from 
sight.  I  was  too  familiar  with  the  Garden  Mabille  manners 
to  pay  the  slightest  attention  to  the  fellow,  for  I  knew  it 
was  one  of  the  customs  of  the  place  to  poke  fun  at  all  those 
who  were  in  the  least  inclined  to  be  spoony. 

"Don't  mind  the  fellow,"  I  said  to  my  companion,  turn 
ing  to  look  at  her  face  as  soon  as  the  gray  beard  had  dis 
appeared  ;  but  to  my  surprise  I  saw  that  she  was  suddenly 
affected,  and  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner. 

There  were  tears  in  her  eyes,  and  her  checks  were  with 
out  color,  while  her  hands  trembled  so  much  that  she  was 
compelled  to  lay  down  the  spoon  which  she  held. 

"  Halloo ! "  I  said ;  "  what  is  up  ?  Do  you  know  that 
man  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer,  but  took  up  a  glass  of  wine  and 
drank  it. 

"Did  that  man  mean  to  threaten  you?"  I  asked,  still 
laughing  at  her  agitation. 


856        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUBOPE,  OB 

" I  don't  know." 

u  Is  he  a  friend  of  yours?" 

"No." 

"  You  have  seen  him  before  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Where?" 

"  Here  in  the  gardens." 

I  was  about  to  question  her  more,  when  she  intimated 
that  it  was  time  for  her  to  leave  the  gardens  for  home. 

"  Tell  me  the  hour,"  she  said. 

I  looked  at  my  watch  and  saw  that  it  was  half  past  twelve, 
and  so  informed  her. 

"  Yes,"  she  remarked,  with  a  sigh,  "  it  is  time  for  me  to 
go  home." 

"  And  you  will  let  me  accompany  you  ?  "  I  asked. 

She  did  not  answer  me,  but  remained  in  deep  thought,  as 
though  pondering  on  the  question. 

"  You  consent,"  I  continued,  and  kissed  her  hand. 

"  You  had  better  remain  here,"  was  her  reply.  "  Take  my 
advice  and  remain  here.  Do  not  ask  to  accompany  me 
home." 

"  Why  not  ?      I  should  esteem  it  an  honor  to  do  so." 

"  Take  my  advice  and  remain  here.  Come,  be  reasonable, 
and  do  not  seek  to  accompany  me  from  the  gardens." 

"  No,  I  will  go  with  you,"  I  replied,  in  a  decided  tone, 
for  my  curiosity  was  excited.  "  I  must  escort  you  home, 
just  out  of  politeness." 

"Again  I  repeat  that  you  had  better  remain  here.  You 
are  an  American,  and  I  would  spare  you,  for  I  don't  believe 
that  you  are  vile  and  dishonest." 

"  Thank  you.  I  am  no  better  than  I  should  be ;  but  Pm 
not  vile  or  dishonest.  Rest  assured  of  that." 

"  Then  why  do  you  wish  to  follow  me  ?  " 

"  On  account  of  your  pretty  face.  It  is  enough  to  draw 
a  man  of  stone ;  so  how  can  I  help  being  moved  by  it  ?  " 

She  sighed  and  left  the  stall.  I  followed  her,  and  drew 
her  arm  through  mine.  She  did  not  resist,  and  did  not 
epeak  a  word  as  we  passed  through  the  crowd.  At  some 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  357 

distance  I  saw  the  man  with  the  gray  beard,  bat  he  did 
not  appear  to  notice  us.  He  did  not  even  glance  in  our 
direction ;  yet  I  felt  that  the  fellow  knew  we  were  on  the 
move,  and  that  he  was  taking  notice  of  all  our  actions. 

We  left  the  garden  and  found  several  carriages  waiting 
in  the  Grande  Avenue  des  Champs  Elysees. 

"  Shall  we  ride  home  ?  "  I  asked. 

"No,"  was  the  reply.  "If  you  will  go  with  me  you 
must  walk." 

"  Is  your  home  far  from  here  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Then  let  us  ride.  You  must  be  fatigued  with  the  even 
ing's  amusements." 

"No,  I  shall  walk.    You  can  do  as  you  please." 

"  You  are  unkind,  and  yet  I  am  doing  all  that  I  can  to 
be  gallant  and  polite  to  you." 

"  I  am  aware  of  it." 

"  And  yet  you  can  treat  me  in  so  cruel  a  manner." 
.    "  Yes,  for  I  have  the  will  to  drive  you  from  my  side  and 
never  see  you  more." 

"Now  you  talk  at  random,"  I  said,  as  I  drew  her  arm 
within  mine  and  walked  along  the  avenue. 

She  sighed,  but  made  no  resistance ;  so  we  strolled  along 
for  a  mile  or  more,  I  striving  with  all  my  might  to  make 
her  chat  and  be  cheerful ;  but  only  occasionally  could  I  in 
duce  her  to  smile  or  to  appear  merry.  She  listened  to  all 
that  I  had  to  say,  and  sometimes  asked  questions  respecting 
the  United  States,  and  was  quite  particular,  when  she  did 
so,  to  talk  about  Boston,  which  city  she  seemed  to  have 
heard  of  in  some  manner  through  a  relative. 

I  know  I  was  telling  her  about  the  bombardment  of  Fort 
Sumter,  and  my  duties  on  board  a  steam  frigate,  when  we 
stopped  for  a  moment  on  the  corner  of  the  avenue  and  a 
cross  street.  Just  then  I  happened  to  glance  around,  and 
saw  close  to  us  the  old  gray-bearded  fellow  whom  we  no 
ticed  in  the  garden. 

"Halloo!"  I  said;  "do  you  recollect  that  old  man! 
We  saw  him  in  the  garden." 


858  THE    GOL*»    HUNTERS    IX   EUROPE,   OB 

"  Yes,  I  recollect  him,"  she  responded,  in  a  low  tone,  and 
then  hurried  me  along  as  though  anxious  to  reach  her  home 
without  delay. 

I  kept  pace  with  her  until  she  was  tired,  and  then  re 
eumed  my  ordinary  walk.  Suddenly  she  stopped  and  looked 
me  full  in  the  face. 

"  I  wish  that  you  would  leave  me  and  go  your  own  way," 
ehe  said.  "  It  would  be  better  for  you." 

"  I  shall  see  you  home,"  I  remarked.  "  I  can't  leave  so 
handsome  a  face  in  the  streets  of  Paris  at  this  time  of  night." 

She  stamped  her  little  foot  with  impatience,  and  once 
more  we  resumed  our  walk. 

We  turned  down  the  Rue  Kivoli,  crossed  it,  and  plunged 
into  a  street  that  was  narrow  and  poorly  lighted.  Then 
we  came  to  a  high  wall  that  enclosed  a  dark,  sombre  look 
ing  building,  with  not  a  light  to  be  seen  in  it.  My  con 
ductor  stopped  at  a  small  iron  gate,  and  unlocked  it  with 
a  key  which  she  carried  in  her  pocket. 

I  began  to  think  that  I  was  meeting  with  an  adventure, 
and  considered  for  a  moment  whether  it  was  not  best  for 
me  to  retire  while  there  was  a  chance;  but  pride  and  Aus 
tralian  experience  came  to  my  aid,  and  there  was  a  hand 
some  face  to  toll  me  on ;  so,  man-like,  I  passed  through 
the  gate,  and  it  was  closed  after  me  w^th  a  spring*. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

IN   A   CONVENT.  —  A   DANGEROUS     POSITION.  —  A    CONVKfr 
6ION. THE    EFFECT    OF   A    SNEEZE. FACE    TO    FACJffi. 

THE  iron  gate  closed  with  a  snap ;  not-  loud,  but  with 
enough  force  to  convince  me  that  it  was  locked,  and  that 
I  should  find  some  trouble  in  unfastening  it  in  case  I 
should  wish  to  do  so  in  a  hurry.  I  am  a  man  who  always 
desires  to  secure  a  retreat  in  case  one  is  necessary,  for  I 


TUB   DEAD   ALIVE.  359 

don't  believe  in  being  over-confident  and  blind  to  one's 
Btrength. 

I  glanced  around  and  saw  that  I  was  in  a  large  garden, 
well  laid  out  with  flower-beds  and  shrubs,  and  that  the 
wall  that  shut  it  off  from  the  street  was  about  twenty  feet 
high,  and  on  the  top  of  it  was  a  row  of  sharp  spikes,  sug 
gestive  of  torn  flesh  and  bruised  limbs,  should  any  one 
attempt  to  scale  it  without  the  use  of  long  ladders. 

It  took  me  but  a  moment  to  notice  all  this,  and  to 
further  observe  that  no  tree  of  any  size  was  growing  near 
the  wall,  so  that  escaping  by  the  aid  of  a  friendly  branch, 
in  case  I  desired  to,  was  out  of  the  question. 

After  I  had  seen  all  this,  my  eyes  finally  settled  on  tho 
face  of  the  young  lady  who  had  conducted  me  thither. 
She  was  watching  me  in  silence,  yet  I  could  see  that  her 
countenance  was  anxious  and  that  her  hand  trembled. 

I  knew  that  her  hand  trembled,  for  I  had  taken  it  for  a 
moment  in  the  hope  that  she  would  just  let  me  kiss  those  lips 
which  looked  so  tempting.  But  she  had  started  back  and 
refused  the  favor  I  demanded,  and  then  it  struck  me  that 
I  had  made  a  ninny  of  myself,  in  thus  escorting  the  lady 
to  a  place  that  looked  more  like  a  tomb,  —  so  silent  and 
sombre  was  it,  —  than  a  dwelling-house  or  fashionable  hotel. 

I  had  pursued  the  adventure  thus  far  from  the  most 
simple  curiosity,'  and  not  with  the  evil  intentions  of  some 
men  whom  I  numbered  among  my  acquaintances.  My 
love  for  Miss  Josie  was  more  than  sufficient  to  keep  me 
pure  and  refined ;  and  now  that  I  had  escorted  my  strange 
companion  to  her  home,  I  began  to  think  that  the  joke  had 
gone  far  enough,  and  that  it  was  time  for  me  to  find  my 
own  rooms,  and  retire  for  the  night. 

"  Come,  my  dear,"  I  said,  in  a  light  and  joking  tone, 
*4let  me  have  a  kiss,  and  then  I  will  bid  you  good  night.'1 

I  attempted  to  put  an  arm  around  her  waist,  but  she 
was  like  an  eel  in  movements,  and  slipped  from  my  en? 
brace,  and  held  me  at  a  most  respectful  distance. 

"Hands  off,"  she  said.  "I'm  not  your  property,  that 
you  should  treat  me  like  one  of  the  most  common  girl* 
<jf  the  street." 


360  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN   EUROPE,   OB 

"Very  well,"  I  replied,  with  a  laugh,  "be  as  virtuous  as 
you  please,  only  let  us  part  friends,  and  promise  to  meet 
me  to-morrow  night  at  the  Mabille,  and  I  swear  to  you 
that  I  will  not  offer  to  accompany  you  home  unless  you 
desire  my  escort.  Come,  shake  hands,  and  let  me  kiss 
your  fingers ;  and  then  good  night  and  pleasant  dreams." 

Slowly  she  extended  her  hand,  as  though  she  was  think 
ing  of  the  matter,  and  had  not  yet  made  up  her  mind  what 
to  do. 

Just  as  our  fingers  met  I  heard  a  slight  noise  at  the  gate, 
as  though  some  one,  not  quite  sober,  was  attempting  to 
insert  a  key  in  the  lock. 

My  handsome  companion  caught  the  sound  as  soon  as 
myself.  She  withdrew  her  hand  with  a  jerk,  and  then 
muttered,  loud  enough  for  me  to  hear, — 

"I  must  and  will  save  him.  Come,"  she  whispered, 
seizing  me  by  the  arm,  "  follow  me,  and  make  not  the  least 
noise,  or  you  are  lost." 

"  What  in  the  devil's  name  do  you  mean?"  I  demanded, 
for  all  my  Australian  bushranging  experience  began  to  re 
vive,  and  I  thought  that  I  was  in  for  an  adventure  that 
would  do  to  relate  to  my  companions  at  the  breakfast  ta 
ble  in  the  morning. 

I  put  my  hand  on  a  certain  pocket  in  my  coat,  and  then 
felt  reassured,  for  I  was  not  without  a  friend,  one  that  had 
seen  service,  and  stood  me  in  need  many  and  many  a  time 
when  I  was  in  a  tight  place  in  Victoria,- or  in  the  block 
ade  service  on  the  southern  coast. 

Did  I  feel  afraid  at  the  prospect  before  me?  No;  I 
can't  say  that  I  did.  My  head  was  as  cool  and  my  pulse 
much  firmer  than  when  I  had  attempted  to  steal  a  kiss  on 
our  first  entrance  to  the  garden. 

She  did  not  respond  to  my  question,  but  laid  her  hand 
on  my  arm  and  forced  me  along  towards  the  dark  and 
gloomy  building,  the  lower  windows  of  which  I  saw  were 
grated  with  iron  bars. 

I  could  hear  the  noise  at  the  gate,  as  though  some  per 
son  found  it  extremely  difficult  to  discover  the  keyhole, 


THE    DEAD   ALIVE.  361 

and  thus  enter  the  garden  ;  and  it  struck  me  that  too 
much  wine  had  rendered  the  fellow's  hands  rather  tremu 
lous.  I  did  not  see  that  there  was  anything  to  fear  on  his 
part;  but  the  lady  seemed  to  be  apprehensive,  for  as  soon 
as  she  reached  a  door,  she  opened  it  with  a  key  and-  mo 
tioned  me  to  pass  in. 

"  But  how  am  I  to  get  out,  and  when  ?  "  I  asked,  as  I 
hesitated. 

"God  only  knows,"  was  the  low  response.  "Enter  and 
be  saved  if  I  can  save  you." 

"  It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  handsomer  savior,"  I  re 
sponded,  but  still  remained  on  the  threshold  of  the  door, 
for  I  did  not  like  the  appearance  of  things. 

Just  at  this  moment  I  heard  the  street  gate  open.  The 
lady  heard  it  also,  for  she  gave  me  a  sudden  push,  and  into 
the  building  I  went,  and  the  door  was  closed  behind  us. 

"Give  me  your  hand,"  she  whispered,  "and  don't  muke 
noise  enough  to  disturb  a  mouse." 

"Here  is  my  hand,"  I  replied,  and  put  it  around  her 
waist,  and  drew  the  girl  towards  me  and  kissed  her  on  the 
lips,  and,  to  my  surprise,  she  did  not  make  the  least  resist 
ance. 

"  Now  that  you  have  acted  like  a  fool,  see  that  you 
behave  like  a  sensible  man,"  was  the  stern  admonition. 
"You  are  in  danger,  and  need  all  your  coolness  and  cour 
age  to  save  yourself.  Do  you  understand  me  ?  " 

"Yes,  and  shall  like  you  better  if  you  will  give  me 
another  kiss." 

"  Take  it,  and  be  quick  about  it." 

I  took  not  only  one,  but  half  a  dozen,  and  she  remained 
qaiot  while  I  did  so. 

"  Have  you  finished  ?  "  she  demanded,  in  a  tone  that  waa 
quite  cool. 

"No." 

"  Well,  it  is  time,  for  I  must  again  warn  you  that  you 
are  in  danger,  and  that  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  tasave 
you.  I  told  you  Dot  to  accompany  me  home,  but  you 
would." 


362        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

"To  be  sure  I  did  ;  but  you  did  not  mention  that  there 
was  so  much  danger  as  to  imperil  rny  life.  That  is  one 
of  the  tilings  you  forgot." 

She  seemed  conscious  that  such  was  the  case,  for  she 
remained  silent. 

"Tell  me,"  I  continued,  "  where  I  am,  and  in  what  part 
of  the  city.  You  can  let  me  know  so  much." 

"  You  are  in  the  Convent  of  the  Blessed  Pilgrims,"  was 
the  whispered  response,  "  and  it  is  situated  on  the  banks 
of  the  Seine." 

"Thank  you  for  the  information.  It  is  quite  consoling 
tc  know  that  I  am  in  such  sacred  quarters.  The  Blessed 
Pilgrims  must  not  belie  their  name,  and  prove  cursed 
Pilgrims." 

"Hush,"  she  said,  still  whispering.  "Do  not  jest,  for 
you  never  were  in  more  danger  than  at  the  present  time. 
But  if  it  is  a  possible  thing,  I  will  save  you." 

"  Thank  you ;  I  don't  think  you  can  do  less,  after  lead 
ing  me  into  temptation  and  danger.  But  perhaps  I  can 
take  care  of  myself,  as  I  am  of  age,  and  have  seen  some 
thing  of  life  in  my  time." 

"I  did  not  lead  you  into  temptation,"  she  said;  "your 
own  evil  passions  did  that.  I  warned  you  not  to  follow 
me,  or  to  insist  upon  seeing  me  home." 

"It  appears  to  me  that  you  have  changed  your  tune  in 
a  wonderful  manner  since  we  placed  a  stone  wall  between 
ourselves  and  the  street.  If  you  had  but  intimated  that 
evil  consequences  would  have  resulted  from  an  act  of 
admiration,  I  should  have  seen  you  home  just  the  same, 
for  I  may  as  well  tell  you,  in  case  this  is  a  bluff  for  my 
especial  .benefit,  that  I  am  not  easily  frightened ;  and  so 
you  may  tell  the  sacred  Pilgrims  as  soon  as  you  like." 

"You  will  not  understand  me.  You  will  misunderstand 
me,  speak  as  I  will;  and  yet  I  would  be  your  friend,  for  I 
may  as  well  tell  you  that  I  like  the  looks  of  your  face,  it 
eeerns  so  honest." 

I  caught  her  in  my  arms  at  the  end  of  this  confession, 
and  covered  her  face  and  neck  with  kisses ;  and  while  1 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE.  363 

was  thus  pleasantly  engaged,  some  one  tried  the  door 
through  which  we  had  just  entered. 

She  tore  herself  from  my  embrace,  although  it  was  no 
easy  work,  and  dragging  me  to  a  closet,  opened  it,  and 
then  entered,  and  made  me  do  the  same.  She  closed  the 
door  after  us,  and  waited  for  some  result  which  I  did  not 
comprehend  or  care  for. 

I  could  hear  the  girl's  heart  beat,  so  agitated  was  she ; 
and  to  calm  her  fears,  I  put  my  arm  around  her  waist,  and 
pressed  her  form  so  firmly  that  she  was  forced  to  speak. 

"O,  my  God,"  she  exclaimed,  "what  a  man  you  are! 
If  death  was  at  your  elbow,  I  believe  that  you  would  waste 
the  last  moments  of  your  life  in  an  idle  manner." 

To  my  surprise  the  girl  uttered  this  remarkable  and  wise 
sentiment  in  English  —  the  first  that  she  had  spoken  since 
we  had  met. 

I  was  so  astonished  that  I  could  only  hold  her  in  a 
firmer  embrace,  and  try  to  reach  the  lips  that  allowed 
such  wonderful  sentiments  to  escape.  In  justice  to  my 
self,  I  must  state  that  I  was  successful. 

"  Where  in  the  name  of  wonder  did  you  learn  to  speak 
such  excellent  English?"  I  whispered,  with  a  squeeze  that 
should  have  forced  the  truth  from  her. 

"  Be  still,"  was  her  response.  "  Can't  you  see  that  life 
is  at  stake,  and  that  a  movement  may  destroy  us?" 

"But  tell  me  where  you  learned  to  speak  such  pure 
English." 

The  closing  of  the  door  and  the  sound  of  heavy  foot 
steps  once  more  compelled  me  to  be  silent.  I  longed  to 
take  a  look  at  the  new  comer,  and  half  made  an  attempt 
to  open  the  closet  door  for  that  purpose ;  but  thg  young 
lady  at  my  side  prevented  me  by  taking  my  hands  in  hei 
own,  and  holding  them  most  firmly. 

"  Susiel,"  cried  the  new  comer,  "  where  are  you?  " 

"Keep  quiet,  and  remain  where  you  are,"  whispered 
the  young  girl,  her  lips  close  to  my  ear,  so  that  no  sound 
should  go  beyond  the  closet.  "Do  not  move  until  I  come 
back.  Promise  me." 


S64        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUHOrE,  OB 

"  Yes,  I  promise." 

She  opened  the  closet  door  and  glided  into  the  loom; 
and  so  light  did  she  step,  that  I  could  not  hear  her  move 
ments. 

"  Is  this  Francisco  ?"  she  asked. 

"The  devil!  yes.    Where  have  you  been  all  this  time?" 

"In  the  next  room,  waiting  for  you  and  Dieteli." 

"And  where  is  the  stranger?"  demanded  the  man  whom 
she  called  Francisco. 

"What  stranger?" 

"  Why,  the  one  I  saw  you  with,  and  signalized  you  to 
entrap." 

"  O,  he  became  faint-hearted,  and  left  me  in  the  street." 

"Susiel,  you  do  not  speak  the  truth.  I  followed  you, 
and  saw  you  both  enter  the  garden  gate.  I  am  not  so 
drunk,  child,  that  I  see  double." 

"I  think  that  you  did,  father,  for  no  one  entered  the 
gate  with  me.  The  stranger  fled  at  the  sight  of  the  con 
vent.  Pie  suspected  something." 

"Child,  you  will  have  no  more  opportunities  to  leave 
the  convent,  if  this  is  the  manner  in  which  you  serve  us. 
You  have  made  promises,  and  yet  they  have  not  availed 
us  in  the  least.  With  your  beauty  and  grace  the  convent 
should  be  enriched ;  but  you  do  not  work  your  cards  like 
some  of  the  sisters.  You  have  no  heart  for  the  labor." 

"Alas,  I  have  done  the  best  that  I  could,  and  yet  you 
blame  me,"  sobbed  the  girl. 

I  had  a  great  inclination  to  go  out  and  punch  the  fel 
low's  head,  but  restrained  myself,  for  the  purpose  of  hear 
ing  more. 

"I  blame  you  because  you  do  nothing.  We  thought 
you  were  just  suited  for  the  work  that  the  brethren  laid 
out  for  you.  We  said  to  you,  There  is  so  much  to  do,  and 
will  you  go  forth  and  help  do  it,  thus  benefiting  the  con 
vent  and  the  Lord,  and  removing  vanities  from  the  pockets 
of  the  world's  people,  or  will  you  remain  in  the  house  and 
see  nothing  but  the  hard  faces  of  your  aunt  and  sister 
Alex,  who  have  bitter  words  for  all  who  are  handsomer 
than  themselves?" 


TUB    DEAD   ALIYE.  365 

My  pretty  }ittle  Susiel  did  not  answer  this  reproach ;  so 
Father  Francisco  continued  :  — 

"You  cannot  deny  my  words." 

"  No,"  was  the  response. 

"You  know  that  you  have  lured  no  one  to  the  con 
vent." 

"I  know  that  I  have  not." 

"  So  you  must  not  hope  to  go  to  the  gardens  again." 

"I  have  no  longer  a  desire  to  go  there.  To-night's 
work  has  shown  me  that  I  am  unsuited  for  such  business. 
I  have  looked  my  last  upon  the  world,  if  I  can  obtain 
freedom  only  at  the  expense  of  my  innocence." 

"Isn't  here  a  chance  for  you  to  do  a  little  job  in  the 
gallantry  line  ?  "  I  asked  myself.  "  It  seems  hard  that  one 
so  handsome  and  young  should  be  forever  buried  in  a 
convent." 

"As  you  please,"  returned  the  priest,  in  response  to  the 
girl's  plaintive  appeal.  "  We  have  others  who  can  work 
with  a  will  and  for  the  success  of  the  convent.  Now  go 
to  your  cell,  and  I'll  see  that  bread  and  water  is  your  por 
tion  for  the  next  week  for  letting  a  promising  subject 
escape  through  your  hands.  He  was  rich,  and  would  have 
made  a  good  night's  work.  His  diamond  pin  alone  was 
worth  ten  thousand  francs,  and  his  watch  half  as  much 
again.  Ah,  I  have  no  patience  with  you ! " 

Just  at  that  moment  a  confounded  fly  or  bug  of  some 
kind  alighted  on  my  nose,  and  tickled  it  so  badly  that  I 
was  compelled  to  sneeze.  I  tried  not  to.  I  covered  my 
head  with  my  coat,  and  almost  strangled  myself  in  the 
attempt  to  suppress  it.  But  all  was  in  vain.  The  insect 
had  tickled  my  nostril  before  being  driven  off,  and  the 
sternutation  would  come. 

"Te-he-te-h-e-te-h-e,"  I  sneezed,  three  times,  loud  and 
long. 

" Mon  Dieu,  what  was  that?"  asked  the  priest. 
"I  know  not,"  was  the  trembling  response,  although  the 
lady  knew  quite  well  what  the  sound  was,  and  where  it 
came  from. 


366        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OK 

There  was  an  ominous  silence  for  a  moment  —  a  silence 
that  was  painful. 

"  Quick,"  cried  the  priest  —  "  a  light ;  we  must  see  where 
that  noise  comes  from.  If  you  have  deceived  me,  so  much 
the  worse  for  you." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  a  light,"  was  the  response.  "  One  of 
the  brethren  is  asleep  on  the  benches.  Do  not  disturb  him." 

u  We  will  see,  sister,  if  your  words  are  correct." 

There  was  a  sharp  scraping  sound,  and  then  the  flaring 
of  a  match  light.  The  next  instant  the  gas  was  illumi 
nating  the  room.  I  peeped  out  and  saw  that  the  priest  was 
the  old  gray-bearded  fellow  who  had  stuck  so  close  to  me 
in  the  gardens,  and  whom  we  had  encountered  on  the 
Boulevards. 

He  was  a  tall,  powerful-looking  priest,  but  rather  too 
fleshy  to  be  active ;  so  I  thought,  as  I  took  his  measure, 
supposing  that  perhaps  we  might  have  a  struggle  in  case 
my  retreat  was  discovered. 

"I  think,"  I  said  to  myself,  "that  I  can  double  you  up  in 
a  few  rounds  in  case  there  is  occasion  for  it.  He  is  not  so 
tough  a  subject  as  I  have  seen  in  the  bush  in  Australia." 

In  the  mean  time  the  priest  was  glancing  around  the 
room,  an  apartment  that  was  used,  it  seemed  to  me,  for 
the  reception  of  visitors,  while  the  girl  was  cowering  in 
one  corner  of  the  place,  nearly  insensible  from  terror. 

Brother  Francisco  smiled  in  a  manner  that  I  did  not 
think  looked  amiable,  as  he  saw  the  girl's  position.  He 
glanced  from  one  end  of  the  apartment  to  the  other,  and 
then  remarked, — 

"  You  see,  sister,  there  is  no  brother  here ;  so  either  you 
or  I  must  have  sneezed.  It  was  not  me,  I  am  sure.  Waa 
it  you  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer  him.  She  was  too  much  affected  to 
speak.  The  priest  smiled ;  and  then  I  saw  his  eyes  go  to 
wards  the  closet  in  which  I  was  secreted.  I  knew  that  the 
fellow  suspected  I  was  there ;  so  I  prepared  to  meet  him 
face  to  face. 

The  priest  took  one  step  towards  the  closet,  and  then 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  307 

paused  and  consideied.     He  looked  at  Susiel,  and  seemed 
to  enjoy  her  distress. 

Then  the  man  made  up  his  mind.  He  strode  towards 
the  closet,  and  threw  open  the  door.  The  priest  and  I 
stood  face  to  face. 


CHAPTER    XXXVII. 

4    FALLEN   PRIEST. A  RE-EXFOllCEMENT. AN  ADVANCE. 

A   RETREAT. A    DEADLY   AGENT. A  SURPRISE   AND 

A   RESCUE. 

FOR  one  moment  the  priest  and  I  looked  at  each  other 
in  some  such  manner  as  two  dogs  regard  one  another  when 
about  to  dispute  over  a  very  promising  bone. 

Neither  of  us  spoke ;  but  there  was  no  friendly  feeling 
in  our  eyes  as  they  met  and  measured  each  other's  strength. 
At  length  the  priest  said, — 

"  Come  out  of  the  closet.  I  would  speak  to  the  person 
who  hides  when  he  hears  the  voice  of  a  man." 

I  left  the  closet  and  stood  before  the  fellow,  so  that  he 
could  not  take  me  at  a  disadvantage.  Miss  Susiel  arose 
and  looked  on  with  clasped  hands  and  a  terrified  face.  I 
made  her  a  sign  to  keep  quiet;  but  I  don't  know  whether 
she  understood  me  or  not.  At  any  rate,  she  did  not  utter  a 
word  until  she  thought  her  voice  would  have  some  weight 

"I  nm  out  of  the  closet;  now,  what  do  you  intend  to 
do  with  me?"  I  asked. 

"Do  you  know  why  you  were  brought  here?"  the 
priest  demanded. 

«  No." 

«  Than  I  will  let  you  know." 

He  turned  and  crossed  to  the  other  side  of  the  room. 
I  knew  what  his  intentions  were,  and  sprang  to  his  side 
just  before  he  could  lay  his  hand  on  a  bell-rope  that  coa* 
inuuicated  with  other  parts  of  the  convent. 


868  THE    GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,    OK 

"Don't  do  that,"  I  said,  and  laid  a  heavy  hand  on  his 
shoulder. 

He  attempted  to  shake  off  my  grasp,  out  when  he 
found  that  I  was  obstinate,  turned  on  me  like  a  famished 
wolf,  and  sought  to  tear  my  neck  with  his  claws,  and  long, 
dirty  finger-nails. 

"Gently,"  I  said,  as  I  eluded  his  first  furious  onset. 
"  Don't  be  impatient,  most  reverend  father.  There  is  time 
enough  for  us  to  talk,  without  taking  each  other  by  the 
throat.  Let  us  reason,  if  you  please." 

"  Viper,  I  will  crush  thee,"  hissed  the  holy  father,  whose 
passion  began  to  be  boundless.  "Thou  wilt  wish  that 
thou  hadst  never  been  born.  If  I  lay  hands  on  thee,  thou 
wilt  mourn  for  it." 

"  Thank  you,  holy  father,  for  your  warnings.  Now  we 
will  understand  each  other.  You  mean  mischief,  and  I  am 
prepared  for  it." 

"Do  not  let  him  touch  the  bell,"  suddenly  cried  Miss 
Susiel.  "  He  will  call  the  whole  of  the  convent  to  his 
aid,  and  then  you  are,  indeed,  lost." 

The  priest  had  intended  to  make  a  sudden  rush  for  the 
bell-rope  and  sound  an  alarm  before  I  could  stop  him. 
The  girl  warned  me,  and  on  her  head  he  poured  some  of 
his  rage. 

Instead  of  rushing  for  the  bell-rope,  he  turned  towards 
the  girl,  and  his  heavy  hand  would  have  fallen  upon  her 
sweet,  upturned  face,  if  I  had  not  interfered  in  time. 

I  caught  his  arm  and  saved  her  the  blow;  but  thie 
made  the  fellow  more  enraged. 

"Ah,"  he  said,  as  he  wheeled  suddenly,  " mon  enfant, 
you  would  interfere  —  would  you  ?  Then  look  out  for 
yourself." 

He  aimed  a  blow  at  my  head,  as  he  spoke ;  but  it  was 
not  the  blow  of  a  scientific  pugilist.  It  was  just  such  a 
blow  as  all  Frenchmen  aim  at  each  other,  the  fist  half 
closed,  and  not  delivered  from  the  shoulder. 

I  had  no  difficulty  in  turning  the  blow  aside,  so  that  it 
did  not  touch  me. 


THE   DEAD    ALIVE  869 

The  priest  looked  a  little  surprised  at  the  result,  and 
muttered  something  that  sounded  like  a  curse  instead  of  a 
prayer. 

"  My  friend,"  I  said,  "  I  would  not  advise  you  to  do  that 
again.  You  had  much  better  keep  your  temper." 

"  Ah,  devil,  then  you  defy  me  —  do  you  ?  "  the  holy 
father  muttered,  and  once  more  he  swung  his  ponderous 
and  dirty  fist  around  his  head  and  let  fly  at  me. 

I  saw  the  movement  and  stepped  one  side.  The  blow 
passed  clear  of  me,  but  with  so  much  force  that  the  priest 
staggered  a  little  ;  and  this  I  seized  upon. 

Before  he  could  recover,  or  put  up  his  arms  as  a  guard, 
I  let  him  have  a  hot  one  right  between  his  eyes,  and  down 
he  fell  as  though  struck  by  a  pole-axe. 

The  holy  father  did  not  move  for  a  moment  after  he 
touched  the  floor.  He  was  all  in  a  heap ;  and  the  blood 
was  pouring  from  his  face  and  nose  in  such  a  rapid  manner 
that  it  dyed  the  floor  and  the  old  fellow's  beard  until  he 
really  looked  a  most  pitiable  object. 

Then  the  heart  of  the  young  lady  was  touched,  and  she 
came  towards  me  wringing  her  hands. 

"  O,"  she  sobbed,  "  you  have  killed  the  holy  father,  and 
what  will  become  of  you  ?  " 

"  Holy  be  —  hanged,"  I  responded.  "  If  he  wants  to 
die  under  such  punishment  as  this,  why,  let  him.  He  has 
not  got  half  as  much  as  he  deserves.  The  wretch!  I 
have  a  good  mind  to  kick  him  while  he  is  down." 

"  Do  not  touch  him  again.  He  has  been  punished  enough." 

"  I  will  promise  if  you  will  leave  the  place  and  go  with 
me.  Now  is  your  time  to  escape." 

"  Alas,  I  cannot !  "  was  the  response. 

"Give  me  your  reason,"  I  demanded,  eagerly,  for  the 
old  fellow  began  to  move. 

"  I  am  an  inmate  of  this  convent,  and  can't  leave  it 
without  the  permission  of  superiors." 

"  I  am  superior  to  every  one  here,  and  I  give  you  per 
mission  to  go.    Fly  with  me  and  be  free.     You  are  tof 
lovely  for  a  convent." 
24 


870        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"  Do  not  tempt  me.  I  fear  that  they  would  curse  me 
if  I  left  without  permission." 

"  And  you  pretend  that  you  are  happy  here  ?  "  I  asked. 

"Happy  !  alas,  no.  I  have  been  sorry  that  I  entered  the 
convent  ever  since  I  took  the  novitiate's  vow.  It  was 
done  in  a  moment  of  rashness,  and  has  been  bitterly  re 
pented  of.  A  relative,  a  devout  Catholic,  persuaded  me." 

"I  am  here  in  Paris,"  I  said,  "to  bring  the  dead  to  life. 
Let  me  rescue  you  from  this  living  tomb,  and  add  you  to 
my  list  of  triumphs  in  the  great  art  of  resurrection." 

"  Flee,  Satan,  and  tempt  the  maid  no  more,"  cried  the 
priest,  raising  himself  on  his  elbow  and  speaking  for  the 
first  time. 

"  Shut  your  mouth,  you  old  goose,  or  I'll  cram  some 
thing  into  it,"  was  my  response ;  and  then  I  turned  to  Miss 
Susiel  once  more. 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  dear  little  girl,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  the 
priest  had  subsided.  "  I  know  of  a  kind  and  tender  father 
who  had  two  daughters,  both  of  them  as  lovely  as  angels. 
He  doted  on  them,  for  he  had  no  wife  to  love.  He  was 
alone  in  the  world  with  the  exception  of  his  children." 

The  young  lady  covered  her  face  with  her  hands  and 
sobbed.  I  was  producing  an  impression  with  my  elo 
quence,  it  was  quite  evident.  I  advanced  a  step  and 
reverentially  laid  one  hand  on  her  head,  while  I  put  an 
arm  around  her  waist  and  drew  her  towards  me.  She  did 
not  resist,  which  I  considered  quite  sensible  on  her  part. 

"  Tell  me  more  of  the  person  you  speak  of,"  she  said. 

"A  few  months  since  business  called  the  gentleman  to 
his  native  country.  He  left  his  eldest  child  in  Paris,  in 
charge  of  his  sister,  so  that  she  could  pursue  her  studies 
without  interruption.  Imagine  that  fond  father's  grief 
when  he  received  information  that  daughter  and  sister  had 
entered  a  convent,  and  were  lost  to  the  world  forever,  as 
they  had  left  no  trace  of  their  retreat." 

The  young  lady  was  now  sobbing  quite  hysterically,  and 
I  applied  myself  to  the  task  of  composing  her. 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  of  the  daughter  who  so  cruelly 
deserted  her  father  ?  "  asked  my  young  charge. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  371 

"Yes." 

"  Tell  it  to  me,  please ; "  and  the  lady  raised  her  head 
from  my  bosom  and  looked  up  with  tears  in  her  eyes ;  but 
still  with  an  expression  upon  her  sweet  face  that  I  could 
not  understand. 

"Susie  Goldthwaite  was  her  name,"  I  replied.  "Her 
father  and  sister  are  now  in  Paris,  and  anxiously  looking 
ibi  the  lost  one." 

"And  Josie,"  murmured  the  lady,  whose  voice  was  now 
tremulous,  "does  she  mourn  for  her  sister?  " 

"  How  !     You  know  her  name  ?  " 

"Alas,  do  I  not?  for  I  am  her  sister." 

I  was  so  surprised  that  my  arms  tightened  around  the 
lady's  waist,  and  not  until  she  intimated  that  I  was  suf- 
tbcating  her  did  I  realize  what  1  was  about. 

"Thank  God,"  I  managed  to  articulate,  "that  I  have 
found  you  at  last.  I  will  never  leave  you  till  I  see  you 
restored  to  the  arms  of  your  father." 

"O  Heavens,  can  so  much  happiness  await  me?"  cried 
Miss  Susie,  her  face  radiant  with  anticipation. 

"Yes,  I  promise  you.  A  fond  father  and  a  dear  sister 
await  you  beyond  the  walls  of  this  accursed  institution." 

"  Can  I  leave  with  you  ?  "  she  asked.     "  Can  I  be  free  ?  " 

"Yes;  and  I  would  like  to  see  the  priest  that  will  dare 
oppose  me.  Come,  I'll  protect  you." 

I  was  a  little  elated  and  spoke  without  thought,  for  I 
imagined  that  no  one  but  the  priest  whom  I  had  doubled 
up,  and  who  was  still  on  the  floor,  would  oppose  me ;  but 
1  was  a  little  premature  in  my  boasting,  for  hardly  had  I 
tinished  speaking,  when  the  door  that  led  into  the  garden  — 
the  one  that  1  had  entered,  and  which  the  priest  had 
neglected  to  secure  on  his  entrance  —  opened,  and  in  walked 
two  companion  priests,  fellows  who  had  been  out  on  an 
expedition  like  that  in  which  Father  Francisco  had  been 
engaged.  The  new  comers  were  astonished  at  the  sight 
that  met  their  gaze,  as  well  they  might  be.  J>ut  they  com  • 
prehended  all  in  a  moment,  and  one  of  them  remarked,  in  a 
quiet  way, —  - 


872        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IN  EUROPE,  OR 

"Well,  Father  Francisco,  you  have  been  wreckod,  bj 
the  looks  of  things." 

The  brother  who  was  addressed  now  arose  to  his  feet, 
and  wiped  away  some  of  the  blood  from  his  face. 

"  I  have  been  foully  dealt  with,  and  by  the  love  of 
God  I  demand  vengeance,"  cried  the  priest. 

"  Thou  shalt  have  it,"  was  the  reply.  "  Thy  face  looks 
as  though  some  one  had  injured  thee.  There  is  enough 
blood  rn  thy  beard  to  make  a  man  swear  a  life  away.  Who 
has  struck  thee,  brother?" 

"That  viper,"  was  the  reply,  and  I  was  pointed  at. 

"  Then  he  suffers  for  his  crime.  No  one  can  strike  a 
priest  and  not  be  damned." 

"  He  is  damned  already ;  but  he  shall  be  damned  still 
more,  for  he  has  not  only  ill-used  me,  but  he  has  tampered 
with  Sister  Susiel,  and  she  has  listened  to  him." 

The  priests  uttered  a  groan  of  horror,  and  then  all  three 
men  advanced  two  or  three  steps  towards  me  with  frown 
ing  looks.  I  saw  that  death  awaited  me  at  their  hands, 
unless  I  could  make  a  successful  resistance. 

"Do  not  approach  me,"  I  said,  "or  the  worse  for  you. 
I  am  a  desperate  man,  and  will  not  die  like  a  rat  in  a  trap." 

The  three  priests  exchanged  looks  and  then  advanced 
once  more.  I  retreated  until  my  back  was  to  the  wall. 

"  Leave  the  room,  sister,"  one  of  the  priests  said,  speak 
ing  to  Susiel. 

She  was  so  terrified  that  she  did  not  heed  him. 

"  Remain  here,"  I  said,  addressing  the  lady  in  English. 
"  Do  not  quit  the  apartment  unless  they  kill  me." 

"  Heaven  forbid ! "  was  the  exclamation.  "  How  ;uu  I 
aid  you?" 

"  By  remaining  quiet.  I  will  not  leave  the  convent 
without  you." 

Once  more  the  holy  fathers  advanced  a  step,  and  then 
drew  from  beneath  their  clothes  long,  narrow  knives. 

"  You  mean  to  use  those  knives  —  do  you?"  I  asked. 

"Yes,"  was  the  reply.  "We  will  cut  you  into  small 
pieces  and  feed  the  fishes  of  the  Seine." 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  373 

"  Can't  we  compromise  ?  Let  me  have  the  lady  >  nd  I'll 
give  you  ten  thousand  francs." 

The  priests  laughed. 

"  No,"  they  said,  "  no  compromise.  You  have  come  to 
yjur  death." 

They  came  towards  me,  and  I  saw  that  they  were  in 
earnest.  I  put  my  hand  in  my  pocket,  and  to  the  surprise 
of  the  priests,  produced  an  old  friend,  in  the  shape  of  a 
revolver. 

At  the  sight  of  this  weapon  the  priests  stopped,  and 
looked  at  each  other  in  surprise. 

They  no  longer  advanced  towards  me. 

"Back  to  your  dens,"  I  shouted,  "  or  I'll  shoot  you  like 
dogs."  Then  I  moved  forward  and  the  priests  backward. 

Suddenly  one  of  them  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and 
threw  something  at  my  feet. 

It  exploded  with  a  loud  hiss,  and  in  an  instant  I  was 
enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  smoke,  so  dense  and  stifling  that  I 
could  not  breathe.  My  strength  was  gone  in  a  moment.  I 
was  disarmed,  for  I  could  not  use  my  pistol  without  the  risk 
of  injuring  the  lady,  much  as  I  wanted  to  hurt  the  priests. 

"  We  have  tamed  the  game-cock,"  was  the  cry ;  and  I 
could"  hear  my  enemies  laugh  in  triumph  at  the  thought. 

I  had  no  longer  strength  to  stand  on  my  feet,  and  now 
I  sank  upon  the  floor;  but  just  as  I  fell  I  heard  a  crash, as 
though  some  one  had  broken  into  the  room,  and  then 
there  was  a  rush  of  pure  air,  a  hum  of  voices,  the  tread  of 
many  feet,  and  lastly  a  struggle  and  fierce  oaths  uttered  in 
English,  that  never  sounded  so  sweet  in  spite  of  the  pro 
fanity. 

"Give  'em  h — ,  consarn  their  picters,"  cried  a  familiar 
voice;  and  I  had  sense  enough  to  recognize  that  it  be 
longed  to  Hopeful. 

The  smoke  cleared  away,  and  I  saw  Fred,  Murden,  and 
Hopeful  all  astride  of  the  three  priests  and  holding  them 
to  the  floor,  \vhile  Dupont  and  Farenti,  the  F  ench  detec 
tives,  were  standing  near  a  smashed  window,  looking  on, 
with  much  complacency,  at  the  scene  before  them. 


874  TIIE    GOLD    HUNTERS    IN    EUROPE,   OR 

I  staggered  to  my  feet  and  reeled  towards  the  air,  which 
was  entering  the  broken  window. 

"  Well,  mon  cher"  cried  the  French  detectives,  coming 
forward  and  lending  me  the  aid  of  their  arms,  "  you  have 
had  a  narrow  escape!"  And  after  a  moment  continued, — • 

"  The  rascals  exploded  one  of  their  balls  of  deadly  gas 
at  your  feet,  and  in  five  minutes  you  would  have  been  a 
corpse.  We  were  just  in  time." 

"Yes;  but  how  came  you  here?"  I  asked,  gaining 
strength  at  every  moment. 

"  One  of  your  companions,  the  Englishman,  followed  you 
here,  and  then  went  back  to  the  gardens,  where  he  met  us. 
He  told  us  what  he  had  seen,  and  we  suspected  mischief. 
We  found  the  rest  of  your  friends,  scaled  the  walls  to 
gether,  and  stood  for  some  time  at  the  window,  looking  on 
and  admiring  the  method  which  you  took  to  convince  the 
priests  that  you  were  their  master." 

"  And  he  would  have  succeeded  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  shell  of  gas,"  cried  Dupont.  "I  saw  shoot  in  his  eyes." 

"Thank  God,  you  came  in  time  to  save  me,"  I  said ;  "I 
was  nearly  exhausted." 

"Yes;  the  good  fathers  make  no  mistakes  when  they 
fill  the  glass  globes  with  their  deadly  gas ;  stronger  men 
than  you  have  been  overcome  with  it  in  a  few  seconds. 
But  look  at  that  droll  companion  of  yours.  He  is  funny." 

Hopeful  was  spanking  the  priest  whom  he  had  captured, 
because  the  father  would  not  be  still  and  submit  to  hia 
humiliation. 

"  Gol  darn  yer,"  Hez  was  saying,  "do  ye  want  to  come 
gome  more  of  yer  games  on  my  friend,  what  can  be  led 
anywhere  by  a  handsome  woman?  Ye  knew  he  could  not 
resist  'em,  like  me.  Why  don't  yer  try  it  on  me,  and  not 
take  advantage  of  his  weakness  ?  " 

,  Just  at  this  moment  Fred  and  Murden  arose  from  the 
prostrate  forms  of  the  priests  whom  they  had  overcome 
and  bound,  and  advanced  to  congratulate  me,  and  also,  at 
the  same  moment,  Miss  Susie  rushed  into  my  arms  with 
an  hysterical  sob  of  joy  at  my  escape. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  •         375 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

SAFE  ADVICE. — A  SURPRISED  FATHER.  —  A  PROPOSAL.— 
OFF  FOR   ENGLAND. —  WEDDINGS. —  FINISHING   UP.— 

THE     END. 

I  MUST  confess  that  I  felt  a  thrill  of  joy  at  the  warm 
embrace  which  Miss  Susie  gave  me,  but  at  the  same  time 
I  knew  that  her  actions  would  be  misconstrued  by  my 
companions  unless  I  was  discreet,  so  I  gently  released 
myself  from  her  arms  and  then  led  her  to  Fred,  whom  I 
was  desirous  of  impressing,  and  formally  introduced  her  aa 
the  daughter  of  our  friend  Mr.  Goldthwaite. 

"Ah,"  said  Fred,  in  reply  to  the  introduction,  "I  would 
have  given  half  that  I  am  worth  to  have  been  the  first  in 
restoring  a  daughter  to  a  father.  But  my  friend  was 
always  a  lucky  fellow,  and  I  can  only  envy  him." 

Hez  and  Murden  were  also  complimentary  in  their  re 
marks,  and  then  I  explained  to  the  two  detectives  the 
position  in  which  the  lady  stood.  They  listened  to  me  in 
silence,  but  with  no  expression  of  wonder  upon  their  faces, 
and  not  until  I  had  concluded  did  they  speak. 

"  You  don't  know  the  law  of  France  in  regard  to  con 
vents  —  do  you  ?  "  Dupont  asked. 

«  No." 

"It  is  very  strict.  There  is  but  one  course  to  be  pur 
sued  in  obtaining  the  release  of  a  nun.  The  process  is  a 
tedious  one,  and  perhaps  would  not  suit  you." 

"  Not  if  it  is  slow." 

"It  is  slow." 

"  Then  we  will  make  as  quick  work  of  it  as  you  did 
when  you  entered  through  that  window." 

"  What  would  you  do  ?  "  asked  the  Frenchman. 

"Take  the  lady  with  us.  We  will  never  leave  the 
convent  without  her." 

"  Spoken  like  a  brave  American,  but  do  you  know  tiie 
danger  that  you  encounter  by  such  a  course  ?  " 


376  THE   GOLD    HUNTERS   IN   EUROPE,   Oli 

"No." 

"We  thought  not.  Stealing  a  nun  from  a  convent  is 
punished,  by  the  laws  of  France,  by  hard  labor  in  the 
docks  of  Toulon.  You  have  no  desire  to  go  there?" 

"  No;  and  we  don't  intend  to  leave  the  lady  in  such  a 
den  as  this." 

"Mon  Dieu,  we  don't  blame  you.  This  is  a  den,  and 
the  holy  rascals  whom  you  see  lying  on  the  floor,  have 
been  up  to  all  kinds  of  crime  for  the  past  six  months,  and 
yet,  sacre,  we  have  had  no  idea  of  it.  The  disappearance 
of  many  strangers  is  now  accounted  for.  The  priests  have 
induced  some  of  the  nuns  to  frequent  the  public  places, 
and  bring  home  men.  Then  the  latter  were  robbed,  and 
their  bodies  tumbled  into  the  Seine.  Mon  Dieu,  but  it  is 
terrible  to  think  of." 

I  knew  it  was  terrible,  and  I  trembled  for  a  question 
which  I  saw  was  to  come,  for  Dupont  turned  to  Susie, 
and  asked, — 

"  How  many  times  have  these  unworthy  priests  pre 
vailed  on  you  to  go  to  the  gardens  ?  " 

"  Three  times  in  all." 

"And  did  you  have  company  home  each  time  ?" 

"  No ;  rny  heart  failed  me  each  time  until  to-night.  I 
was  threatened  with  a  cell  and  starvation  unless  I 
obeyed  the  will  of  the  priests ;  so  when  the  father  with 
the  gray  beard  told  me  to  throw  myself  in  the  way  of  this 
gentleman "  (pointing  to  me),  "  I  did  so  because  I  had 
Borne  hope  of  escape  through  his  means." 

"  It  is  wonderful,"  muttered  the  detectives.  "  It  might 
have  gone  on  for  a  year,  and  we  should  never  have  sus 
pected.  Now,  what  shall  we  do?" 

"  Take  the  rascals  to  the  nearest  prison,  and  thus  ex 
pose  the  Blessed  Pilgrims  to  the  world,"  I  answered. 

The  detectives  shook  their  heads,  as  they  replied,  — 

"You  don't  know  what  you  ask.  If  we  should  arrest 
these  men  and  prefer  charges  against  them,  the  whole  of 
religious  France  would  rise  up  and  defend  them,  and 
denounce  us  as  perjurers  and  assassins." 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  877 

"And  the  rest  of  France  would  sustain  you." 

"No ;  it  would  do  nothing,  and  we  should  be  sacrificed, 
instead  of  the  priests,  for  bringing  scandal  on  the  church." 

"  Then  what  shall  we  do  ?  The  lady  must  go  with  us. 
We  cannot  leave  her  here." 

The  detectives  looked  puzzled,  and  then  they  retired  to 
a  corner  of  the  room  and  consulted  together  for  a  few 
minutes.  The  result  of  the  conference  they  communicated 
to  us  in  a  few  words. 

"  The  laws  of  France,"  they  said,  "  as  we  told  you 
before,  are  very  strict  in  regard  to  its  convents  and  in 
mates  ;  but  if  you  take  the  lady,  and  no  trace  can  be  found 
of  you  or  your  charge,  it  don't  seem  to  us  that  the  ven 
geance  of  the  law  can  be  satisfied." 

"By  that  you  mean  that  the  lady  and  those  who  take 
her  must  leave  France  as  soon  as  possible,"  I  said. 

The  officers  bowed.     I  had  comprehended  them. 

"  In  the  name  of  Heaven,  don't  leave  me  here,"  the  lady 
said,  in  the  wildest  alarm,  for  fear  we  should  desert  her. 
"  Take  me  to  my  father  and  sister,  and  I  will  bless  you." 

"  Do  not  be  alarmed,"  replied  Fred,  who  appeared  to 
take  a  wonderful  interest  in  Susie's  welfare.  "  We  swear 
to  you  that  nothing  shall  induce  us  to  leave  the  convent 
unless  you  accompany  us." 

The  young  girl  gave  him  a  look  of  gratitude,  and  then 
Fred  ranged  alongside  of  her,  as  though  he  constituted 
himself  her  champion. 

"  If  she  leaves  the  convent,  will  you  quit  France  in  less 
than  twenty-four  hours  ?  "  asked  the  detectives. 

"Yes." 

"  Don't  think,"  the  officers  said,  "  that  we  want  you  to 
go.  Far  from  it ;  but  it  is  your  safety  that  we  are  looking 
after.  We  don't  want  you  brought  back  and  tried,  fjad 
then  have  all  this  scandal  exposed.  It  would  be  disa 
greeable —  would  it  not?" 

We  thought  that  it  would. 

"  Then  take  the  lady,  and  leave  the  convent  as  soon  ag 
you  please." 


S78        THE  GOLD  HUNTEES  IN  EUROPE,  OB 

"  And  these  bad  priests !  What  will  you  do  with  them?  * 
I  asked. 

"We  shall  report  to  the  prefect,  and  he  can  order 
further  investigations  or  not,  just  as  he  pleases.  At  any 
rate,  the  history  of  this  night's  work  will  be  related,  and 
the  officials  can  probe  the  matter  to  the  bottom,  or  leave 
it  just  where  we  found  it.  But  of  one  thing  be  assured: 
the  business  of  robbery  in  which  the  fathers  have  been 
engaged,  is  ended  forever.  Now  go,  for  we  shall  soon 
have  daylight." 

"And  you?"  I  asked. 

'*  We  shall  remain  here  on  the  watch  until  you  have  left 
1'aris.  Then  we  shall  make  our  report,  and  not  before." 

We  wrung  the  detectives'  hands,  and  after  a  last  look  at 
the  prostrate  and  bound  priests,  left  the  convent  as  soon 
as  possible.  Fred  offered  his  arm  to  Miss  Susie,  and  she 
accepted  it,  while  Murden  and  I  took  the  lead,  and  prepared 
to  answer  all  questions  which  the  gendarmes  might  put  in 
case  they  met  us. 

At  the  corner  of  the  Plnce  Concorde,  we  found  two  car 
riages  with  the  drivers  fast  asleep  on  the  boxes.  They 
were  night  birds,  and  waiting  in  the  hope  of  picking  up  a 
few  francs  before  daylight. 

I  aroused  the  drivers  and  engaged  both  carriages.  My 
friends  looked  on  in  silence,  not  knowing  what  I  intended. 

"Murden,"  I  said,  "you  and  Hez  must  go  to  our  rooms 
and  pack  our  trunks  at  once.  At  six  o'clock  we  start 
for  England.  It  is  now  three.  There  is  time  enough." 

"But  the  model  of  my  gun,"  cried  Hopeful.  "  Gol  darn 
it,  you  know  Louis  has  it." 

"You  must  leave  it  for  the  present,  or  else  write  to  the 
emperor,  and  tell  him  that  you  are  ready  to  make  tenna 
vhen  he  is  satisfied  that  it  is  a  good  thing." 

"Yes,  and  lots  I'll  make  out  of  that  kind  of  game  —  now 
Bnan't  I  ?  You  know  jist  as  well  as  I  does,  that  the  em 
peror  will  forget  me,  and  claim  all  the  merit  of  the  thing— • 
now  don't  you?" 

"  Let  us  hope  for  better  things." 


THE    DEAD    ALIV3.  379 

"It  ain't  no  use  to  hope  for  better  things  from  them 
crowned  heads.  If  they  can  only  show  themselves  smart 
off  other  people's  ideas,  they  think  they  can  keep  on  the 
throne  forever.  My  gun  is  worth  —  " 

"But  think,  Hez,  how  much  the  life  and  liberty  of  this 
young  lady  are  worth." 

"  I  know ;  but  it  won't  be  worth  much  to  me,  'coz  you 
know  she  wouldn't  look  at  a  freckle-faced  feller  like  me, 
even  if  I  has  more  brains  than  the  rest  of  yer  all  put 
together." 

"  We  won't  discuss  that  question  at  the  present  time," 
I  said,  in  a  low  tone,  for  I  feared  that  Miss  Susie  would 
hear  him.  "If  you  want  to  do  me  a  favor,  just  acquiesce 
in  my  wishes." 

"'Cos  you  are  in  love  with  her  sister,  I  'spose.  It  is 
wonderful  how  much  a  man  will  do  for  a  gal's  relations 
when  he's  in  love,  and  how  quick  he  gets  tired  of  doing 
for  'em  arter  he's  married.  There  was  my  wife's  aunts  —  " 

"  We'll  hear  the  rest  on  the  train,"  I  cried,  and  bundled 
Hez  into  the  carriage. 

"Look  ahere,"  said  Hez,  from  the  carriage  window,  "my 
shirts  is  at  the  washerwoman's,  and  I  has  but  two  left,  and 
I'd  like  to  know  what  I'm  to  do  for  clean  ones." 

Murden  gave  the  signal  to  the  driver,  and  the  carriage 
dashed  off. 

"  Where  shall  we  go  with  the  lady?"  asked  Fred. 

"  There  is  but  one  place  for  her  —  to  her  father's." 

"And  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  go  with  her,  I  sup 
pose,"  Fred  said  with  a  sly  look,  for  he  understood  my  case. 

"  Yes ;  the  sooner  he  understands  that  the  dead  is  alive, 
the  better  he  will  feel." 

I  assisted  Susie  to  enter  the  carriage,  while  the  driver 
looked  on  and  wondered  what  we  were  up  to,  but  knew 
too  much  of  Parisian  life  to  ask  questions,  as  long  as  theia 
was  a  good  fee  to  be  obtained. 

"  You  aro  ready  and  anxious  to  see  your  father  and  sis 
ter?"  I  whispered. 

The  young  girl  responded  with  a  pressure  of  her  hand, 
but  was  too  much  agitated  to  speak. 


880        THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IX  EUKOPE,  OB 

We  gave  the  driver  his  orders  and  off  we  went,  over  the 
smooth  streets,  the  wheels  of  the  vehicle  hardly  making 
the  least  noise. 

In  ten  minutes  we  were  in  front  of  Mr.  Goldthwaite's 
house.  It  was  just  daylight,  or  a  little  before  four  o'clock 
I  went  to  the  lodge,  and  attempted  to  rouse  the  porter, 
but  it  required  time  to  get  him  out  of  bed,  and  when  he 
opened  the  door  he  grumbled  like  an  old  French  soldier. 

"  Sacre?  he  muttered,  "  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  ? 
Do  you  want  me  to  call  the  police,  that  you  make  such  a 
noise  in  the  morning,  before  it  is  time  to  leave  one's 
bed  ?  "  And  then  he  appeared  to  recollect  me,  and  a  grim 
smile  passed  over  his  face  as  he  pulled  off  his  night-cap 
and  bowed. 

"  Pardon,  monsieur ;  I  did  Hot  know  that  it  was  you,  it 
is  so  early." 

I  slipped  a  five-franc  piece  into  his  hand,  and  then 
another  smile  passed  over  his  face.  He  was  ready  to 
obey  monsieur  in  all  things. 

"Goto  Mr.  Goldthwaite's  room,"  I  said,  "  and  tell  him 
that  I  must  see  him  without  delay.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,  monsieur,  he  shall  sleep  no  more  this  morning ; " 
and  with  a  military  salute  he  left  me. 

"Remain  here  with  the  lady,  Fred,  until  I  give  the  sig 
nal  for  you  to  escort  her  up  stairs.  I  must  prepare  her 
friends  to  receive  her." 

Then  I  followed  the  porter  to  Mr.  Goldthwaite's  sitting- 
room,  and  waited  for  the  old  gentleman  to  appear.  I  did 
not  have  to  wait  long.  In  a  few  minutes  Mr.  Goldthwaite 
entered  the  apartment  with  one  slipper  on  and  a  dressing- 
gown  thrown  over  his  shoulders. 

"God  bless  me!"  he  cried,  "  what  can  have  induced  this 
early  visit  ?  All  well  —  ain't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  are  all  well,"  I  answered  ;  "  and  I  can  assure 
you  that  I  have  my  reasons  for  disturbing  you  at  this 
Unseasonable  hour." 

"You  have  news  —  " 

Mr.  Goldthwaite  hesitated,  and  did  not  dare  to  finish  the 
sentence. 


THE   DEAD   ALIVE.  381 

Just  at  this  moment  I  heard  the  door  of  Miss  Josie's 
apartment  open,  and  turning  I  saw  the  young  lady  enter 
the  room,  dressed  as  if  to  receive  morning  callers. 

"What  has  happened?"  she  asked,  and  came  towards 
me  and  extended  her  hands,  looking  anxious  and  a  littlo 
frightened. 

"Can  you  bear  good  or  ill  news?"  I  asked. 

"  Yes ;  I  can  bear  anything  now,"  was  the  reply.  "  1 
hoped  that  something  had  happened  to  you ;  but  now  I 
know  you  are  safe  —  " 

She  suddenly  recollected  what  she  had  said,  and  to 
whom  she  was  talking.  Then  she  paused  and  blushed, 
and  withdrew  her  hands  from  mine. 

Her  father  looked  on,  and  seemed  quite  dumb  under  the 
influence  of  my  early  visit.  He  could  not  comprehend  it  aa 
yet.  He  knew  that  something  had  happened,  and  hoped 
that  it  was  some  matter  that  concerned  his  own  family. 

I  looked  at  the  father  and  then  at  the  daughter,  ij  see 
if  they  were  prepared  for  my  revelations,  for  I  knew  they 
would  astonish  them. 

"Can  you  bear  all  that  I  have  to  say?"  I  asked. 

Miss  Josie  put  one  of  her  little  hands  in  mine  in  order  to 
show  that  she  was  quite  composed. 

"  We  are  calm,"  she  said.     "  Trust  us." 

"  The  dead  is  alive,"  I  cried  in  a  low  tone. 

Mr.  Goldthwaite  started  forward  with  a  wild  cry,  while 
Josie  dropped  my  hand  and  covered  her  face. 

They  knew  what  I  meant  without  asking  a  question. 

"  Where  is  she  ?  "  demanded  the  father,  after  a  moment** 
time  to  recover  his  self-possession. 

"She  is  near  us." 

"In  a  convent?" 

"  She  has  been  in  one." 

"  Is  she  still  in  one  ?  " 

"No." 

«  Wh  -re  is  she  ?  " 

"  At  the  door.    In  one  moment  she  will  be  ir  your  arms." 

«  Thank  God  ! " 


382  THE    GOLD   HUXTERS    IN   "UKOPE,   OR 

"  But  listen  to  me  for  a  moment,"  ±  jaid.  "  I  have  stolen 
her  from  a  convent.  In  a  few  hours  her  loss  will  be  tnown. 
We  have  but  a  short  time  to  spare." 

"  Tell  me  what  to  do  and  I'll  do  it,  but  let  me  see  my 
child,"  cried  the  father. 

"  We  must  leave  Paris  in  an  hour's  time.  Tell  your  ser 
vants  to  pack  your  trunks  without  delay.  Josie,  set  your 
maid  to  work.  There  is  no  safety  for  us  outside  of  England 
and  the  United  States." 

"  We  will  do  as  you  direct  us,"  father  and  daughter  both 
said. 

I  stepped  to  the  window  and  gave  the  signal  to  Fred, 
and  up  the  stairs  he  assisted  his  agitated  charge.  The 
door  was  thrown  open,  and  then  father  and  daughters  were 
soon  in  each  other's  arms. 

Fred  and  I  left  them  alone  for  a  short  time,  or  until  we 
concluded  that  the  first  transport  had  passed  away,  and  all 
were  ready  to  hear  reason.  Then  I  ventured  to  knock  at 
the  door,  and  was  told  to  enter. 

I  found  father  and  daughters  clasping  each  other's  hands. 

"  We  must  be  moving,"  I  said.  "  You  can  talk  on  board 
the  cars." 

"We  will  be  ready  in  half  an  hour,"  answered  Josie. 
"Our  trunks  are  most  packed." 

I  passed  into  the  next  room,  and  Josie  followed  me. 

"I  must  take  time  to  talk  to  you  for  what  you  have 
done,"  she  said.  "  Susie  has  told  us  all.  Can  we  ever  be 
grateful  enough  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

"How?" 

"Josie,"  I  said,  and  stole  an  arm  around  her  waist,  "  yor 
know  that  I  love  you." 

"  I  know  that  I  have  not  got  time  to  finish  packing,"  she 
said. 

"But  you  will  give  me  one  moment  '" 

"How  can  I?" 

She  did  not  offer  to  move,  although  she  pretended  to  b« 
in  such  a  hurry. 


THE    DEAD    ALIVE.  883 

"Do  you  love  me??'  I  asked,  and  held  her  firm,  in  spite 
of  her  little  struggles. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  that  I  must  answer  yes,  or  have  my  life 
equeezed  out  of  me." 

"And  you  will  marry  me?" 

"  Well,  I  think  that  I  shall  have  to  some  time  or  other." 

"  And  on  the  strength  of  that  promise  I  may  have  a 
kiss?" 

"Yes,  just  one." 

I  took  a  dozen  or  two,  and  wanted  more,  but  could  not 
get  them. 

"I  admire  your  impudence,"  she  said,  and  ran  to  her 
own  room. 

Then  Mr.  Goldthwaite  came  to  me. 

"  How  can  I  thank  you  for  what  you  have  done  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  By  giving  me  Josie,"  I  said. 

"I  couldn't  give  her  to  one  whom  I  like  better,"  he  re 
plied.  "  But  are  you  sure  that  you  love  her  well  enough 
for  a  wife  ?  " 

"Yes,  for  I  have  just  told  her  that  such  is  the  case." 

"  Hem !     And  what  answer  did  she  return  ?  " 

"  Like  a  dutiful  daughter  she  referred  me  to  you." 

This  was  not  quite  correct,  for  Josie  had  not  mentioned 
the  old  gentleman's  name;  but  then  it  does  no  harm  to 
let  our  elders  see  that  we  pay  them  some  respect. 

"  Ah,"  said  the  gratified  father,  "Josie  always  was  a  good 
girl.  I  hope  she  will  make  you  as  good  a  wife  as  she  has 
me  a  child.  Take  her,  my  son,  and  be  kind  to  her." 

I  promised,  and  faithfully  have  I  kept  my  word.  And 
now  I  have  but  little  more  to  write.  We  escaped  from 
France  without  the  least  detention,  thanks  to  the  care  of 
the  two  Paris  detectives.  They  wrote  us,  in  London,  that 
the  priests  of  the  Blessed  Pilgrims  had  been  punished  by 
being  sent  to  Rome,  and  that  was  the  last  heard  of  them. 

Josie's  aunt  preferred  a  life  in  the  convent  to  freedom ; 
BO  she  still  remains  in  the  Pilgrims,  where  she  has  time 
enough  to  repent  of  her  sins. 


884          THE  GOLD  HUNTERS  IX  EUROPE. 

Hopeful  never  heard  from  Napoleon  about  the  model 
gun ;  but  some  time  ago  the  emperor  invented  a  weapon 
which  he  culled  the  Chassepot.  Hez,  in  his  rage,  declares 
that  the  Chassepot  and  his  Hopper  Gun  are  one  and  the 
same  thing,  and  that  Louis  stole  his  invention;  but  it 
don't  seem  possible  that  such  could  be  the  case.  Hope 
ful  is  now  in  Hillsboro'  County,  New  Hampshire;  and 
when  he  is  not  talking  of  Martha  or  a  new  wife,  he  is 
planning  fresh  expeditions  or  great  inventions. 

While  we  were  in  London,  Fred  and  Miss  Susie  were 
often  thrown  together,  and  the  result  was  just  what  I 
hoped  for  —  a  warm  attachment  on  their  part;  and  the 
finale  was  a  double  wedding,  for  Fred  and  I  were  married 
on  the  same  day,  in  the  presence  of  a  few  friends,  in  the 
city  of  London. 

We  passed  a  few  weeks  with  the  Earl  of  Buckland,  at 
his  country  seat,  and  a  few  weeks  with  my  father-in-law, 
Sir  William,  before  we  sailed  for  the  United  States.  I 
will  give  Sir  William  and  his  lady  the  credit  of  doing  all 
that  they  could  do  to  render  our  visit  agreeable;  and  not 
a  word  did  they  say  to  prove  that  they  regretted  the  step 
which  I  had  taken. 

My  son  and  Rover  gave  us  a  welcome  that  proved  how 
sincere  they  were  in  their  affections;  and  the  dog  is  with 
us  at  the  present  time,  but  the  boy  is  with  his  grand- 
parents  on  a  visit. 

As  for  honest  Murden,  we  applied  ourselves  so  closely 
to  his  business  that  the  English  cabinet  granted  all  he 
desired,  and  he  went  back  to  Australia  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  colony.  He  was  immediately  made  minister 
of  the  interior,  and  has  held  that  position  ever  since.  He 
is  immensely  wealthy,  and  still  a  widower.  I  hope  that  I 
have  not  seen  the  last  of  him. 

And  now,  dear  readers,  a  long  farewell ;  and  may  you 
be  as  happy  as  the  parties  who  have  so  often  afforded  you 
amusement  through  these  pages. 


z,a*    1  •  I11* 

The  gold  (huiilyry   in 


Europe 


MAS     6  193b  S> 


•  -: 


^048 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


